On February 2, USJC President and CEO Suzanne Basalla, who is also a member of the board of the Japan Society of Northern California, moderated the Japan Society of Northern California’s virtual event Be the Bridge: The Untold Stories of San Jose Japantown “Why is Japantown Important?” Featuring Council Leader and Board President of the Japanese American Museum of San Jose Michael Sera, the conversation touched on a variety of topics including the history of Japanese immigrants to the United States, the development of the Japanese American community in San Jose’s Japantown and the ways that history can better connect Japanese Americans, Japanese individuals in America, and other diverse immigrant communities.