Diana Emiko Tsuchida on the Importance of Reclaiming History and Cherishing Family Heirlooms
*All photos by Diana Emiko Tsuchida
This week, I’m so excited to have Diana Emiko Tsuchida (@tessakuproject) here for the Culture Luminaries series! If you've been around here for a while, you might know that Diana is one of my dearest friends, and that we call each other our Japanese American soul sisters.
Every time we meet up, we have deep, soulful conversations and are laughing or crying (usually me) most of the time. And, it's no secret that we show up wearing @alysoniwamotoceramics jewelry 9/10 times. We even call each other by our Japanese middle names: Emiko and Eriko. It feels like we've known each other for lifetimes.
Diana is an independent historian, writer, and the creator of @tessakuproject a preservation project and printed journal series dedicated to sharing oral histories from Japanese American elders who lived through the WWII incarceration.
Her passion for this history is rooted in her own family's experience of the incarceration, and their tumultuous experience of her grandfather's vocal resistance.
During our time together Diana and I discussed:
Our friendship: We first met after I heard Diana on one of my favorite podcasts, NPR’s Codeswitch and what she was said really resonated with feeling like parts of my own culture had become lost on its way to me due to assimilation in my parent’s generation. I sent her an email and the rest is history.
Her work: Tessaku has been Diana’s way of reclaiming her family’s history and the history of so many other Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during World Way II.
Ritual objects: Diana shared a photo of her grandfather at Tule Lake, her grandmother’s juzu beads, and her grandfather’s ceramic vessel.
You can watch the full interview below!
Whether you identify as Japanese American or not, Diana is a brilliant storyteller and keeper of one community's sacred stories. She inspires me everyday to remember the importance of recording, preserving, and listening to the stories of our elders. It is both an act of healing and an act of resistance.
Thank you Diana for sharing your story, work, and beautiful ritual objects with us! You can learn more about Diana and her work here.
As I discussed ritual objects with Diana, I am reminded that there are so many ways to celebrate, honor, and even reclaim, our time-honored traditions. I believe ritual objects really help anchor us in these moments— especially during this time.
Head here to visit our Modern Heirlooms web shop, where I've thoughtfully co-created ritual objects with my favorite artisans (in limited runs) to help you elevate your sacred rituals.