Every spring, the Japanese celebrate the annual blooming of the cherry blossom, the country's most cherished flower. In San Francisco, the Japanese-American community has been doing the same for the past 40 years, honoring the flower with a festival and a parade.

They also select a court of young Japanese-American women as representatives and role models for the community.

This year's court hopes to rebuild the connection between what it means to be Japanese and American.