Our Mission Statement
As artists, we advocate for equity and justice for all, today and into the future. Our unique artistic expressions remember and share the legacy of historical injustices and connect them to today’s social issues.
Our Story
In April 2018, five San Francisco Bay Area artists, Shari Arai DeBoer, Ellen Bepp, Reiko Fujii, Kathy Fujii-Oka and Na Omi Judy Shintani, came together with a common history – they were all descendants of family members who were unjustly imprisoned in American concentration camps during World War II. They were about to embark on a journey to the Manzanar WWII incarceration camp where they sought to learn more about the unjust history that connected them. These third generation Japanese American artists (sansei) came together with a desire to honor their ancestors who had endured this tragic injustice. They drove more than 8 hours from the Bay Area to the Manzanar Camp located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada in California's Owens Valley.
That weekend marked the anniversary of the 49th annual Manzanar Pilgrimage with attendees converging from many points near and far. The artists’ intention was to connect, share and learn from the many Pilgrimage participants. They listened to an impressive and diverse range of speakers and joined in both solemn ceremonies and uplifting festivities. They toured the grounds of the camp, where they personally and collectively connected to this shameful period of US history.
The artists were also prepared to perform their own personal rituals of ancestral remembrance and artistic expression. Prior to the trip the artists collaborated on developing the specific content for this day to best honor the spirit of their culture. This included a pre-dawn installation of memorial paper lanterns, an honoring ceremony to the cardinal directions and the land of the original indigenous peoples and finally reciting the names of their loved ones using pine branches, creating a unified symbol honoring their relations and ancestors.
As artists, we advocate for equity and justice for all, today and into the future. Our unique artistic expressions remember and share the legacy of historical injustices and connect them to today’s social issues.
Our Story
In April 2018, five San Francisco Bay Area artists, Shari Arai DeBoer, Ellen Bepp, Reiko Fujii, Kathy Fujii-Oka and Na Omi Judy Shintani, came together with a common history – they were all descendants of family members who were unjustly imprisoned in American concentration camps during World War II. They were about to embark on a journey to the Manzanar WWII incarceration camp where they sought to learn more about the unjust history that connected them. These third generation Japanese American artists (sansei) came together with a desire to honor their ancestors who had endured this tragic injustice. They drove more than 8 hours from the Bay Area to the Manzanar Camp located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada in California's Owens Valley.
That weekend marked the anniversary of the 49th annual Manzanar Pilgrimage with attendees converging from many points near and far. The artists’ intention was to connect, share and learn from the many Pilgrimage participants. They listened to an impressive and diverse range of speakers and joined in both solemn ceremonies and uplifting festivities. They toured the grounds of the camp, where they personally and collectively connected to this shameful period of US history.
The artists were also prepared to perform their own personal rituals of ancestral remembrance and artistic expression. Prior to the trip the artists collaborated on developing the specific content for this day to best honor the spirit of their culture. This included a pre-dawn installation of memorial paper lanterns, an honoring ceremony to the cardinal directions and the land of the original indigenous peoples and finally reciting the names of their loved ones using pine branches, creating a unified symbol honoring their relations and ancestors.
About Our Film
After the artists returned from their travels, the recorded documentation became the foundation for their film “Sansei Granddaughters’ Journey” (2020, 27 min). As the film developed, historical context and the artists’ art work were added to enhance the story of their journey.
The film has been presented at various venues and selected by national and regional film festivals including the 2020 Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest, the 2021 DisOrient Film Festival in Eugene, Oregon, and the 2022 Films of Remembrance in San Francisco.
After the artists returned from their travels, the recorded documentation became the foundation for their film “Sansei Granddaughters’ Journey” (2020, 27 min). As the film developed, historical context and the artists’ art work were added to enhance the story of their journey.
The film has been presented at various venues and selected by national and regional film festivals including the 2020 Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest, the 2021 DisOrient Film Festival in Eugene, Oregon, and the 2022 Films of Remembrance in San Francisco.
Credits
Directors: Shari Arai DeBoer, Ellen Bepp, Reiko Fujii, Kathy Fujii-Oka, Na Omi Judy Shintani
Narration Script, Camera: Pat Mayo
Editor: Reiko Fujii
Editor, Music Composer: Kallan Nishimoto
Directors: Shari Arai DeBoer, Ellen Bepp, Reiko Fujii, Kathy Fujii-Oka, Na Omi Judy Shintani
Narration Script, Camera: Pat Mayo
Editor: Reiko Fujii
Editor, Music Composer: Kallan Nishimoto
Our Achievements
2023
2021
2020
2019
2018
2023
- "Illuminating Strength," installation in "Our Legacy of Advocacy" art exhibition, California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee 2023 Convention, Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco
- "Illuminating Strength" installation in the exhibition, "Jade Wave Rising: Portraits of Power," Asian American Women Artists Association, SOMArts Cultural Center, San Francisco
- Documentary screening, 11th Annual Films of Remembrance, Nichi Bei Foundation
- Class presentations, California College of the Arts
- “Shining a Light on Remembrance” Lantern Making Workshop, California College of the Arts
- Presentation of BART’s Tanforan Incarceration exhibit, Asian American Women Artists Association’s Slide Slam
2021
- Artists interview, San Francisco State University, Asian American Studies Dept.
- Documentary screening, DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon
2020
- Documentary screening, Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest
- Artists interview, Contemporary Asian Theater Scene (CATS)
2019
- Procession, documentary screening and artist panel, “Shared Footsteps: From Exclusion to Injustice,” Presidio, San Francisco
- “Sansei Granddaughters' Footsteps,” art installation within the exhibition, “Then They Came For Me: Incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII and the Demise of Civil Liberties,” Presidio, San Francisco
2018
- Work-in-progress documentary screening and artist talk, J-Sei, Emeryville, CA
- Attended 49th Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage and performed on-site ritual