SAN FRANCISCO – Topaz Museum is holding a fundraiser on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Buchanan YMCA, 1530 Buchanan St., San Francisco.
“Respect and Legacy” is a fundraiser for displays and exhibits in the Topaz Museum, which is now set to open in the spring of 2014.
The program features several Japanese Americans who have direct ties to Topaz. Kimi Kodani Hill, the author of “Topaz Moon,” will talk about her grandfather Chiura Obata and the Topaz Art school. Disney animator Willie Ito will be drawing cartoon sketches and talking about teaching himself to draw while he was incarcerated at Topaz.
Attendees are being asked to share their family memories and bring digital photos of artifacts to discuss with the author of “The Art of Gaman,” Delphine Hirasuna.
During World War II, the U.S. government forcibly removed more than 110,000 people from the West Coast to concentration camps because they had Japanese ancestry; 15,000 from San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and San Mateo were incarcerated at Topaz in Utah.
Cost: $40 adults; $15 children under 12. Ticket includes bento lunch. Send check to Topaz Museum, P.O. Box 241, Delta, Utah 84624, or use PayPal at http://topazmuseum.org.
For more information, email topazalumscommittee@gmail.com. Send digital photos and stories of artifacts/artworks to topazartifacts@gmail.com.
The Topaz Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the Topaz site and the history of the internment experience during World War II, and to educating the public to prevent a recurrence of a similar denial of American civil rights. On the Web: www.topazmuseum.org