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Grace Etsuko Lee's Book Signing Invitation |
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Submitted by Grace Etsuko Lee
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Grace Etsuko Lee's Book Signing Invitation
Little Caterpillar in Training:
A Culture in Transition and Its Mixed Child in Post-War Japan
at
Los Angeles Japanese-American National Museum
Tateuchi Democracy Forum
You are invited to my lecture and book signing of "Little Caterpillar in Training: A Culture in Transition and Its Mixed Child in Post-War Japan" at the Los Angeles Japanese-American National Museum on Saturday, November 13th, at 2 pm. The Museum in located in downtown Los Angeles and the lecture will be in the Tateuchi Democracy Forum.
Earlier this year, the LA Japanese-American National Museum staff read my book, and they were so excited about it that they immediately requested it be made available at their Museum store. Soon afterward, they invited me to do a lecture and book signing in both English and Japanese. Their interest in "Little Caterpillar in Training" is because it's about a hidden part of Japanese history that no one has ever written about: the Japanese/African-American children born to Japanese mothers and American fathers as a result of the American occupation of Japan during World War II. The book tells of the struggles of one of these women, who came to the U.S. with her American husband after the war. It's the first book to tell the story of a Japanese mother and her mixed-raced child, and the challenges they faced in a culture that did not welcome diversity.
I wrote the book for my grandchildren, who look Caucasian with their light skin, blond hair and blue eyes. I wanted them to know their cultural background. But when others read "Little Caterpillar," they urged me to publish it and share it with the world... So here it is!
My presentation is full of pictures and story-telling and includes many anecdotes about life in Japan and rare photos that are not in the book. I'll go through each chapter of "Little Caterpillar," and we'll talk about the cultural differences between the U.S. and Japan. I'm told that many people who've already read the book have lots of questions, and I'll answer all of them.
The message I want to give my grandchildren with this book is that life is about acquiring lots of knowledge so you can make the best decisions. My father always said, "Curiosity didn't kill the cat, it made him wiser." Father made it clear that the prejudice we experienced in Japan was mostly because they didn't know any better - it was not a learned behavior. Mother always said to me in Japanese, when people acted impolitely, "Kinodokuna shito dato omoeba iidesu yo." Basically, she was saying, "Feel sorry for those who don't know how to act because they were not educated or taught." So every time people were impolite to me, I understood that if they knew better they would be more polite, and I felt sorry that they didn't have the knowledge to make themselves more kind or behave better.
The Museum also requested that I give some international business etiquette tips, because when I'm not promoting my book I teach the art of social graces and etiquette. I owned an international marketing company for over 20 years, importing, exporting, marketing and distributing goods in the US, and putting joint ventures together. So the fun part is to figure out how to transition from my "Little Caterpillar" book to international business etiquette. I hear that all my Toastmasters friends are coming to see how I make that transition! I know the evaluations will be forthcoming, a tradition in the Toastmasters organization.
Looking forward to seeing you at my lecture and book signing on Saturday, November 13th, at 2 pm at the Los Angeles Japanese American National Museum, located at 369 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, California 90012. Phone: (213) 625-0414. After the lecture, please join me for Japanese tea, desserts, Japanese doll display, and the book signing.
Interview with Grace Lee by Keiko Fukuda
Grace Etsuko Lee, Author, Speaker & Trainer
www.LittleCaterpillar.com
www.GraceLeeInternational.com
Click for Details --> Table of Contents and Chapters <--
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