Japanese Internment Memorial

Not long ago, our nation was turned upside down with the attack on Pearl Harbor. Approximately 110,000 Japanese American’s were ordered, (through Franklin Roosevelt’s Executive order 9066) to be housed in “War Relocation Camps” in various Western States. Although the U.S. has apologized to the Japanese Americans, it is not a proud moment for the American people. A memorial sculpted by Ruth Asawa was revealed on March 5, 1994 in downtown San Jose.

Interned at age 16, Ruth Asawa, Japanese American, was taken with her family to the Santa Ana Race Track internment camp. This captive, turned artist displays the hardships of Japanese Americans through her intricate sculpture/storyboard.
Her memorial begins with images of the struggles of the Japanese arriving to America and becoming citizens. Trying to become established was hard at first, but through hard work, many Japanese Americans became successful. But after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the executive order, many Japanese Americans were forced to leave their homes, and get rid of all of their belongings. Asawa’s father was arrested by the F.B.I. and she shows this in her sculpture along with the accounts of other Japanese Americans stories.

The other side raps around and continues with images of the hysteria of the camps. Images of Japanese American citizens being held in horse stables, families crying over the loss of loved ones and the pain of living in such horrible conditions are hard to look at. Mon are clustered around the sides of the memorial and are family crests that Asawa has collected of the Japanese Americans that were held to help signify their unity. Asawa ends her story with redress, the governments apology and a picture of 3 significant Japanese flowers that have important meaning to her Japanese culture. The Matsu is the Japanese pine that represents endurance, the bamboo which signifies strength and the cherry blossom which represents friendship. These 3 flowers are somewhat of a story in themselves in that it represents the Japanese Americans fall and rise of the past half a century.
Asawa creates amazing imagery that touches deep into your soul. Her intricate work and seamless flow of art makes this memorial an amazing piece of art that we are blessed to have in our own downtown San Jose. (379 words).