The Japanese American National Museum will hold its annual Gala Dinner, Silent Auction, and After Party on May 2 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel and X Bar in Los Angeles.
The evening’s theme will be “To Boldly Go: Sharing Our Story Across the Generations.” Actor and activist George Takei will be honored with JANM’s Distinguished Medal of Honor for Lifetime Achievement and Public Service.
“To Boldly Go” evokes the visionary course that JANM has charted for over 30 years in sharing the Japanese American experience to enlighten people of all backgrounds about democracy, civil liberties, and social justice. The theme will be illustrated in several aspects of the evening, including performances, remarks from key individuals connected to the museum, and video content.
Takei was among the over 120,000 Japanese Americans forcibly incarcerated after the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II. But after a childhood spent in American concentration camps, he went on to a groundbreaking acting role as Sulu on the “Star Trek” television series. He has since continued to serve as a beloved pop culture icon and evolve into a respected civil rights activist.
Takei’s selection for JANM’s Medal of Honor is in recognition of his decades-long standing as an inspirational role model as well as his commitment to JANM itself.
Takei is only the fifth individual to receive JANM’s Medal of Honor. Prior recipients are the late Sen. Spark Matsunaga (posthumously, 1991); the late Sen. Daniel Inouye (1994); the late Akio Morita, co-founder of Sony Corporation (1996); and former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta (2012).
Frank Buckley, co-anchor of KTLA’s Emmy Award-winning Morning News, will act as the master of ceremonies. The evening will include JANM’s popular Lexus Opportunity Drawing, for which a new 2015 Lexus NX200t F Sport vehicle will be the prize. Opportunity Drawing tickets are $25 each, $100 for five tickets, and $500 for 30 tickets. They may be requested by calling (213) 830-5669 or emailing galadinner@janm.org.