Carley is a mixed-race Japanese Canadian (JC) who experienced racism in her twenties when she felt like a tourist. She formed Rabbits Three Cultural Connections (https://rabbitsthree.ca/), inviting performance artists to collaborate to resist model minority stereotypes. She shares the importance of treating everyone as individuals and being curious about their stories.
Carley Okamura identifies as a mixed race Japanese Canadian settler on amiskwacîwâskahikan treaty 6 territory. She has played the Japanese drum for over 20 years, and uses this cultural artform to connect with her heritage and with the Japanese diaspora communities around North America. She serves as president of two Japanese drumming boards, Kita no Taiko in Edmonton and the Taiko Community Alliance headquartered in California. Through this network she pursues her passion of cultural art and activism. Her production company Rabbits Three Cultural Connections has a mission to create performance art with social messaging and in collaboration with other artforms.
