A camp dedicated to connecting Japanese American youth to both their heritage and Little Tokyo is now into its 13th year.
Rafu Shimpo reports that each year Camp Musubi in Los Angeles focuses on connecting the youth to their elders so that the history will not be lost.
Campers each summer are encouraged to document their stories through photographs and are taught rules of basic photography.
The importance of community service is emphasized and campers hear stories from Japanese Americans who describe the journey they traveled to find their own voice.
Camper Carina Sekimura wrote:
“My picture represents how everything is connected, an older generation teaching the newer generation. It shows that through all these years, making something and sharing something as simple as onigiri can show we are American, yet continue our Japanese customs, having the best of both worlds.”