Join us for the Center’s largest fundraising event of the year, TABEMASHO: Mottainai on Saturday, September 19.

This year’s theme is mottainai (もったいない), a common Japanese expression used when something is wasted before its full value is appreciated. We wanted to take a moment to recognize the importance of mottainai in an era of quick fashion, quick food, and quick social media posts, and to encourage a greater sense of gratitude for the things that are part of our daily lives. Through food and culture, we hope to celebrate the community that connects us.
Learn more or register here

I Am An American: The Nisei Soldier Experience
Opening Weekend February 20-22, 2026

A National Traveling Exhibit Honoring Courage, Loyalty and the American Spirit

I Am An American: The Nisei Soldier Experience is a new traveling exhibit that tells the story of second-generation Americans of Japanese ancestry, known as “Nisei,” who demonstrated their loyalty during World War II by enlisting to serve in the U.S. Army. In the exhibit, their service is recounted against the backdrop of fear and racial tension that inspired thousands to volunteer from Hawaii and drove the U.S. government to remove Japanese Americans and people of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast to ten Wartime Relocation Authority (WRA) Incarceration Camps during the war.

Through 1,500 square feet of immersive storytelling, the exhibition showcases firsthand accounts, rare artifacts, and evocative images that reveal how the Nisei Soldiers’ service became a defining testament to courage, sacrifice, and belonging. Visitors will encounter the remarkable stories of the Nisei Soldiers who served in the European Theater as part of the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team—one of the most highly decorated units in military history—and in the Pacific Theater as linguists in the U.S. Army’s Military Intelligence Service.

“I Am An American” will begin its five-year tour of 11 venues around the nation in February 2026, premiering at the MIS Historic Learning Center at Presidio in San Francisco, CA. The exhibit will be on display in the former aircraft hangar at Crissy Fields, where the U.S. Army trained the first class of Japanese American linguists during World War II.

To register for the Opening Weekend of the I Am An American: The Nisei Soldier Experience Traveling Exhibit on February 20–22, 2026, in San Francisco, please visit nvnvets.org/openingweekend. This will be a three-day celebration honoring the courage, sacrifice, and service of the Japanese American Nisei soldiers of World War II. To learn more about the traveling exhibit and other locations, visit nvnvets.org/exhibit.

“I Am An American” is presented by the National Veterans Network (NVN) with the National Museum of the United States Army and supported by The Army Historical Foundation. For additional information, please email Joann Shin at joann@nvnvets.org.

Rise & Resist! Join the rally on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at 11 am at the San Bruno BART station near the Tanforan shopping center. 

Please RSVP at bit.ly/rise-resist-at-tanforan to receive additional updates.

ℹ MORE INFO:

This action will be at the former location of the Tanforan Assembly Center during WWII, calling attention to the historical parallels between the experiences of Japanese Americans and current violence against immigrant communities. 

Tsuru for Solidarity, in partnership with the San Francisco Japantown community and Bay Area Japanese American organizations, calls on our communities to say NO to new detention centers in Northern California and across the US.

The Tanforan Assembly Center served as the unjust detention center for nearly 8,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans during World War II in 1942. We want to ensure their stories are remembered and that this injustice is never repeated against any peoples.

This action will feature powerful speakers, art, and opportunities to plug in and take action together. Bring your signs, water, sun protection, and POWER! If you plan to drive, please park at San Bruno BART.

✊WHY ARE WE HOLDING THIS ACTION? 

We stand in solidarity with our immigrant communities targeted by racist and inhumane state violence. As ICE raids intensify and militarized tactics escalate nationwide, the fight to remove ICE from CA has never been more urgent. Together, we must be in solidarity with immigrant communities and stand against detention & all forms of state violence. 

We must not let an ICE detention facility open in Dublin, CA or anywhere in Northern California. Our community members are more likely to be arrested & detained by ICE in counties with more detention beds. This is our moment to speak out, take action, and stand in solidarity with our community members!!! Free them all! 

For more information or with any questions, reach out to basaki@tsuruforsolidarity.org