Let's Talk Story Club

By: Taisho and Audrey

Dear Ben, 

We first saw your paintings of the beaches of Maui and Mount Fuji at the Go-For-Broke National Education Center. We knew they’d be perfect for our memory book illustrations.

Then we visited you at your senior home to present the book and document your own life story. We’ll never forget your tales fighting for the U.S. against Japan–your mother country–while your family was incarcerated at an internment camp. It struck us: some stories must never be forgotten. You validated that all the work to create our nonprofit was worth it.

Because of you, over 250 more seniors’ fascinating stories have now been documented. We’ve received thank-yous from volunteers across California, Hawaii, Japan and Mexico. We were even on Good Day LA news!

We will continue to preserve life stories like yours. We want to thank you. You’ve taught us that stories give us a sense of identity, connect us to our roots, and deepen our perspectives on past injustices. 

Your friends, 

Taisho and Audrey

Today, we held our first community event, a Senior Memory Collection Workshop with the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute (JCI). Families and volunteers spent a wonderful afternoon “talking story” with seniors of Japanese ancestry, and preserving their stories in memory books. 

With live Hawaiian music and ono snacks generously donated from local restaurants, the room soon became filled with the sounds of storytelling: bright laughter, solemn reminiscing, and wise words echoed everywhere. Student volunteers from South High School’s AP Japanese class even got to practice their language skills with the seniors.

72-year-old Mr. Sakata attended the workshop with his young granddaughter. As a child, he explained, he hated eating shrimp. At this, the granddaughter laughed and exclaimed, “Grandpa, I hate shrimp too!” They quickly discovered their likes and dislikes run in the family!

Overall, we were excited to see the local community come together to provide companionship and social interaction with the elderly. This experience opened my eyes to the potential of the Let’s Talk Story Club to impact more seniors communities in the future.

The Let’s Talk Story Club is so excited to partner with the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute for a Senior Memory Collection Workshop on January 13, from 2 – 5 p.m.

Two of our volunteers, siblings Avery and Lucas, filled out a Let’s Talk Story book with their grandmother. The experience allowed them to not only learn more about her, but it also helped them realize their own opportunities in life.

After completing the book, Avery said, “I realized how different it was for her growing up and how grateful I am for what I have.” Her brother Lucas also expressed similar gratitude for their grandmother and said, “Getting to know more about my grandma and her experiences made me realize how fortunate I am.”

A Let’s Talk Story book is a great way to get to know a senior while also finding more out about yourself.

This weekend, we were invited to speak at the Go For Broke National Education Center’s (GFBNEC) Fall Luncheon about Let’s Talk Story and our mission. We are incredibly thankful for the opportunity to share the Let’s Talk Story book with many GFBNEC members whose own families served on the 442nd Regimental Combat Team or the U.S. Military Intelligence Service.

At the luncheon, we were fortunate to meet two of the veterans themselves.

Yosh Nakamura, 442nd Regimental Combat Team veteran and Gila River Internment Camp survivor.

Tokuji Yoshihashi, 100th Infantry Battalion and Gila River Internment Camp survivor.

We want to give a special thank you to Mitchell Maki, president of GFBNEC, for inviting us to this event.

We were so excited about our recent visit to the FOX News studio in Los Angeles to be interviewed by Reporter Sandra Endo! Walking into the studio, we were starstruck by all the cameras, lights, and crew. Seeing all the reporters from the Good Day LA morning show in action was the highlight.

Ms. Endo’s interview was an amazing experience. Being a Japanese American herself, she asked us a lot of great cultural questions that we hadn’t thought of before, and she was especially interested in the positive impact our volunteers are making on the lives of seniors in our community. It’s not every day that you get to share your mission on a stage, and we’re immensely thankful for this opportunity.

Yesterday, our youth volunteers visited the Kei-Ai Healthcare Center in Gardena, Calif., once again. To begin, we wrapped up books with seniors who didn’t get a chance to finish their books from their previous session. It was heartwarming seeing their excitement when we revisited them and put the final touches on their books. 

After that, we paired up with more seniors. One senior recalled being a trouble-maker in high school. While she may have become known at her school for her naughty antics, she says she wishes she could go back in time and relive those “beautiful” high school moments.

Last Sunday, my Girl Scout Troop volunteered at the Kei-Ai Healthcare Center in Gardena, Calif. We worked with five seniors to preserve their life stories in the Let’s Talk Story books. While some finished the book quickly, others took more time explaining each memory in great detail. Either way, volunteers and seniors had a great time talking story. 

Thank you so much for having us, Kei-Ai!!

Today, I worked with one senior who told me all about her days working in retail fashion in the Los Angeles area and how much she once enjoyed playing the koto. I was especially touched when she dedicated her memory book to her brother, whom she has spent countless holidays with over delicious meals. “He’s a good man,” she said with tears filling her eyes.

I also had some fun playing the ukulele for another senior. This senior enjoyed working on his memory book with me, but may have enjoyed messing around with the ukulele even more!

This week, the Let’s Talk Story Club reached a huge milestone: We documented the life story of our 100th senior! 

It was an extra special occasion because this senior lives in Japan. This grandson pictured here traveled all the way from California during summer break, and along with his cousins, learned so many interesting and fun stories about their wonderful grandfather. 

Thank you for being our 100th volunteer and senior!