The Japanese American National Museum will host a free one-day event, “Transcendients Community Celebration: Challenging Borders” to honor Los Angeles heroes who fight against discrimination, prejudice and inequality at physical and social borders.

Community members will celebrate with music, dance, art,  speaker series and hands-on activities. The museum will also feature artist Taiji Terasaki’s “Transcendients: Heroes at Borders” on Saturday, March 7 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“I wanted to celebrate the individuals of the past and present who have fought and stood up for justice and righteous practice,” Terasaki said. “I wanted to find reassurance that there are communities of individuals who are fighting for those who desperately need empathy, compassion and justice.

Author Viet Thanh Nguyen will deliver the keynote session on transcending borders from the perspective of an immigrant, refugee and as a writer with a bicultural identity.

In addition to Nguyen’s keynote session, a selection of heroes being honored in the exhibit will join for a curated speaker series. KCRW Good Food host Evan Kleiman will join “Gangsta Gardener” Ron Finley and Rudy Espinoza, executive director of inclusive action for Los Angeles, for a conversation on challenging food borders in the city.

After each speaker series, attendees will have the opportunity to meet them and participate in more intimate conversations.

The celebration will consist of live music, dance performances, large-scale art installations and interactive workshops. These activities will include communal weaving lead by artist Marianne Sadowski, a Yonsei collective memory workshop led by Nikiko Masumoto and a letter-writing workshop that will guide participants on how to create letters for detained at the Mexican-American border.

The event is free and open to the public. The Japanese American National Museum is located at 100 North Central Ave.

For information, visit janm.org.