First Week!

(Photo provided by Taylor Kim)

My journey with NCI began with Orientation in Los Angeles, where I met Alex and the interns from San Francisco and Los Angeles. We learned about Little Tokyo and the Nikkei community through workshops, discussions, and a scavenger hunt. One of my favorite parts of orientation was getting the chance to talk to Alan Nishio about the evolution of the Nikkei Community and what it means to be Japanese American in a globalizing world. Overall, I would say that the trip to LA was fantastic; all of the interns were really sweet, and it was great to have the chance to bond with all of them!

When we got back to San Jose, we first met Roy Hirabayashi, who introduced us to the San Jose Japantown. He took us on a walking tour, and later on, we went around again to observe some of the monuments in the area. We had numerous talks about the historical significance of San Jose Japantown and what we as interns can do to preserve Japantown for future years to come. My favorite experience this week was getting to spend time with Roy, PJ, and the artistic staff of San Jose Taiko, one of the pivotal groups in the North American Taiko. At school, I am a member of Brown/RISD’s Gendo Taiko. For me, taiko is more than just drumming; Gendo is my family on campus and has given me a lot support during tough times. I admire San Jose Taiko for their ability to use taiko as a way to celebrate the Japanese American community and strengthen Japantown. On Thursday evening, I saw the group collaborating with various works of art at the San Jose Museum of Art. Indeed, taiko has no creative limitations.

On Friday, I finally got to meet Ellen Kamei, Ryan Kawamoto, and past interns Iszac and Alec. Hearing their experiences with the program last year was really helpful. Although it has only been a week since the start of NCI, I am having a great time! I have already met so many incredible individuals that have made me feel like I am a part of this community. I am confident that this internship is going to be a wonderful experience and am looking forward to what's next!

-Lina Lalwani, 6/19/16