On December 13, 2025, a group of SSCA volunteers (Ron, Peter, Jay, Nicole, Lucas and Jenny) went on a guided tour of the Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj) in order to see if it would be appropriate to add it as a stop for the Japanese participants on the student exchange in March. Our volunteer tour guide Penny led us through the history of the Japanese-Americans in the area, beginning from their migration journey. We were able to see how the early Japanese-Americans were able to adapt and assimilate into American culture even though they were segregated. We also saw that their hard work and innovative practices led to very successful businesses and made Santa Clara Valley into an agricultural powerhouse.

However, the most powerful part of the museum documents the Japanese-American experience of being forced into internment camps during WW2. This portion of the museum houses numerous photos, artifacts, and documents from this era. It contained a display of each of the internment camps that extended across the United States, including a replica of one of the barracks so that visitors could see the closed quarters and lack of privacy that families had to endure. It is a testament of the resilience and also the community spirit that Japanese-Americans harbored in the face of uncertainty and wartime hostility.   

According to the JAMsj website, it "provides a historical forum that stimulates present day discussions on civil liberties, relations, discrimination, and American identity." It can be argued that these discussions are more relevant now than ever.

The last part of our tour included a visit to the rotating gallery which featured artwork by local artist Yurika Chiba. The art exhibit is named Chutohampa: Somewhere in Between and features ink and paper drawings of her 'doodles'. The museum also encourages visitors to create their own ink and paper artwork. The exhibit ends on February 8th.