On Saturday, Oct. 10, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. PDT, the Japanese American National Museum will present a book discussion on “Kagoshima 9066 Westridge,” co-written by Frank Sata and Naomi Hirahara.
The book traces the life of Sata’s father, J.T. Sata, through his photographs, sketches, paintings and sculptures.
A man committed to a life of art — not necessarily as a profession — J.T. Sata emigrated to America from Kagoshima in 1918. In Los Angeles, he was active with the Issei photo community while working odd jobs. During World War II, J.T., his wife, Yoshie, and Frank were incarcerated at Santa Anita Assembly Center and the concentration camps in Jerome, Ark., and Gila River, Ariz.
Frank Sata will discuss the impact of his father’s art and why he felt compelled to publish this book in this moment with Bryan Takeda of the Nikkei Federation.
Hirahara will be presenting selections from the book and discussing the process of creating this visual history.
Yvonne Ng, librarian at the Arcadia Public Library, and Shawn Iwaoka, collections assistant at JANM, will highlight the history of the Santa Anita Park racetrack, where Sata was incarcerated, and how the library and museum’s collections preserve that history.
“Kagoshima 9066 Westridge” will be available soon in limited quantities through https://www.facebook.com/shopjanmstore/
RSVPs are required using this link: http://ow.ly/3j7r50BLzxA
The photo shown below was featured in the exhibit “Making Waves: Japanese American Photography, 1920-1940,” on view at JANM from Feb. 28 to June 26, 2016. Take a few minutes today to watch a short film about Sata’s life and work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2NOXtYmtDo&feature=youtu.be
