Free Event

The UCLA Nikkei Student Union’s 40th Annual Cultural Night is a fully student-run production aimed at spreading Japanese American culture and history. Cultural Night commemorates the signing of Executive Order 9066, which was signed by President Roosevelt during World War II and ordered the incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans. This year, the program will include performances by NSU Modern, Kyodo Taiko, Odori, Soran Bushi, and our drama cast. The play portion of the show focuses on the importance of community building and explores themes of resilience and diversity within the Japanese American community. Our core cast, a baseball team of people from varied backgrounds formed in an incarceration camp, navigates the changes in their lifestyle and relationships in their new life at camp, forming deep lasting bonds and coming to appreciate the importance of community. The UCLA Nikkei Student Union hopes that their story and performances help showcase the diversity and resilience built into the history of Japanese American culture and experiences and is aimed towards anyone who is willing to learn and listen.