PACOIMA — JACL Pacific Southwest District, in collaboration with San Fernando Valley JACL and San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center, will celebrate the culmination of the first-ever Katarou Histories program on Thursday, Aug. 23, from 7 to 9 p.m. at SFVJACC, 13953 Branford St., Pacoima.
The Katarou Histories program, held at the SFVJACC every Thursday since June 14, with mid-session retreat in July, has shown that a multi-generational oral history program is possible and that dialogue can happen and community can develop across ages.
Participants will present a hidden part of San Fernando Valley’s Japanese American history. One group is working specifically on gathering the history of the Japanese American Community Center, which has grown into a vibrant space for people all around to come and gather.
Another group is focusing on presenting the story of the Aces, a baseball team that started in Manzanar and continued postwar. And yet another will bring together different voices and perspectives on the Japanese American festivals and their relevance to the community today.
There will be food and refreshments during the presentation of these final projects.
To RSVP, email programs@jaclpsw.org. For more information, call (213) 626-4471 or visit www.jaclpsw.org.