Japanese Internment Memorial Essay

The Japanese Internment Memorial in San Jose, Calif. embodies not only the history of the events that occurred during this difficult time of war and prejudice, but also illustrates the harsh realities of sadness, loss and separation of the Japanese-Americans impacted, through its powerful imagery. The double-sided panel, a bas-relief, illustrating the history of Japanese immigration and internment in America during World War II, was created by Japanese-American artist Ruth Asawa and dedicated March 5, 1994.

The panels of text include the details of military orders for internment and historical background of Japanese-American life. The intricately sculpted scenes begin on one side of the panel and show the optimism of the Japanese on their way to their new life in America. Not long after they began to develop a real sense of home and community, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Executive Order 9066 was issued that allowed the military to bypass constitutional safeguards for the sake of national defense. Those of Japanese ancestry were excluded from living and working in certain locations on the West Coast. In a mass evacuation, most of the Japanese-American population was forced to live in remote camps run by the military.

One detail on the panel that circles the entire memorial, very effectively puts the viewer in an appropriate mind set to understand the circumstances of the Japanese-American incarceration. The three-row barbed wire image running along the top, in a sort of enclosing manner, reminds us of the harsh conditions. Although the Japanese-Americans remained a tight community and continued to live as much as their limitations would allow, they were still not free, with serious consequences apparent for non compliance. In a particular section of this detail there is an image of a paper airplane flying through the wire, clearly headed outside the confines. I think this image specifically, juxtaposed against the terrible conditions of the camp, illustrates the essence of freedom that the Japanese-Americans sought but was then taken away. Their hopes and dreams, all they had worked so hard for as lawful contributing members of society, was taken and placed out of their reach.

In another powerful image, there is a very emotional moment captured that illustrates the sense of loss and separation that occurred for the Japanese-Americans. As members of families were torn apart and sent to different internment camps, family said “good bye” and reached out to their loved ones through the barrier of train windows. I think one of the more sobering aspects of this vignette is the fact that there is a mixture of emotions among the faces. It was a time of uncertainty. While some understood the severity of the situation, many were dressed in their “Sunday best” as they waived to the crowd, unable to predict the harsh reality that they were headed towards.

The memorial symbolizes the struggle for American citizen rights granted in the Constitution. Its powerful imagery and location are a constant reminder of our history and that of our neighbors here in the Bay Area. Along with an apology from the U.S. government that came much too late, for all that they put the Japanese-Americans through, hopefully the memorial stands for more than just a marker in our history. It is a piece of our past that should never be forgotten or repeated.

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