Jim Nagareda has been the Executive Director of JAMsj since March 2017. Rooted deep in the Japantown community, he has greeted thousands of visitors to the museum from all over the world. He has been essential in keeping the museum running, especially during these difficult COVID times, all the while making sure the volunteers are happy and busy. JAMsj is grateful for all his hard work and will surely miss him as he moves on to his next adventure in the new year.
The JAMsj blog had a chance to sit down and talk to him about his favorite memories.
Jim heard many stories from visitors in the barrack area of the museum
What were your favorite memories?
I would say the people. I love the museum, because of the people. You don't know who's going to come in on any day. They come from all around the world, and they all have their stories. And getting to know all the volunteers - they all have their own stories, too. So, the most fun part of my job was meeting all the people.
Can you share a couple of stories that were most memorable and inspiring?
There are quite a few that stand out. One of them was an Obasan that came to visit, and I met her in the barrack (section of the museum). She said her job as a child in the internment camp was to put newspaper in all the little holes between the boards, so the dust didn’t come in. I really enjoyed hearing real stories like that.
Lawson Sakai (photographed by Jim)
I also heard stories directly from some of the 442 (Infantry Regiment) vets. Just incredible, incredible stories. They look like somebody you know – your grandpa or father, and yet they went through all these struggles. And it's because of them, that we're able to live the life that we're leading now. They really paved the way for us to become good American citizens with good standing. And without them, who knows? It's really hard to say.
For example, Lawson Sakai, a veteran who recently passed. He had a great memory. He could recount everything that happened on the battlefield, It gives you chills when you hear him talk. And they were 18, 19 years old. I couldn't picture myself at that age, doing the same types of things that they did.
Unfortunately, most of those people are gone now. And we can't hear those stories anymore. Yes, we do have some recordings, but it’s not the same. It’s not as moving as standing right next to this guy telling you the story. When Lawson talked with people at the museum, everyone was just quiet. They were just listening so intently to what he was saying. I don't think you'd get that same feeling by watching a video presentation.
What was your favorite event/exhibit during the years?
It would probably be one of the exhibits on the veterans. Nisei veteran photographer Shane Sato did an exhibit with his photos. We’ve organized discussions with vets and we've shown some movies. The things they went through and the sacrifices they made. You can read these stories in a book, but when you hear it firsthand from a guy that was there, during that time, it's just incredible.
Jim (right) with Shane Sato
What was the most interesting thing that was donated to the museum?
Paperwork that was found in the closet of the bowling alley (photographed by Jim)
We did get a nice donation from a bowling alley that’s just down the street, owned by Japanese Americans. They were cleaning out a closet and they found this material that they were going to toss out. But luckily one person in their family group said, “No, we should bring it to the museum.” And it was such important information! They are forms that people filled out before they went to internment camp and they include information on where they lived, who's in their family, etc. And these are the original copies - hundreds of them filled in by different people. The papers are very delicate. We still don’t know what to do with it, but if anything, we should try to scan it. And then possibly create a map of where the people lived. We would need grants and people to make that happen.
And that's the one thing I really love about the museum. You never know what's going to walk in the door. I know the people that own that bowling alley, but I didn't know that was coming in.
If you can brag for a minute, what are you most proud of?
I would say, overall, stability and consistency. Having one person here all the time is important. I know what other people are doing. I know how everything's connected. That made it a lot more work for me but I think that volunteers appreciated it. I always try to take time out and talk to all the volunteers and see how they're doing. We definitely would not have a museum without the volunteers. There's no way. Some people only volunteer one day out of the year. But we need them to do that.
I'll definitely miss being here. I mean, it was so much a part of my life.
What will you be working on next?
One of the things that I will be working on in 2022 is that we will be reprinting the book “San Jose Japantown: A Journey”. The 450-page book was first published in 2014 after spending 15 years of putting it together. It was all volunteer work. We sold out of it within one year and we're getting ready to reprint it next year in conjunction with the 35th anniversary of the museum.
Outside of the museum, I do have some plans, but I will save that for later.
How would you like to see the museum develop and expand in the future?
It's such an important resource. I think that there are so many people that still don't know the story of Japanese Americans. And so, I think that we need to do a better job exposing the museum and what it has to offer to other ethnicities, not only the U.S. but all around the world. There are so many stories of Japanese Americans that have excelled in whatever they did, whether it be Judo or business, or arts. We need to keep those stories alive. That needs to be the top priority.
Thank you, Jim! We wish you the best of luck!