Make Up Assignment 2: "Common Ground: The Heart of Community" exhibit at JANM

So to make up for my second class missed, I will be writing about the "Common Ground: The Heart of Community" exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) in Little Tokyo. I had every intention of visiting two different museums to make up for my missed classes, and I probably still will visit other exhibits I looked up for this summer, but I found that there was so much information at the JANM that I really had to write two separate posts anyway...and I am sure that there will be so much more information that I won't have time or space to write about this museum, too! Needless to say, I highly recommend a visit!

The "Common Ground" exhibit is ongoing at the JANM. It captures 130 years of Japanese American history, from the first wave of farm-worker immigrants, through the disgraceful treatment of people of Japanese descent during the second World War, and a short history of 1945 through today.

Though the beginning of the history of the first Issei (first-generation Japanese immigrants) was also very interesting, the most captivating and largest section of the exhibit focuses on the incarceration of over 100,000 people during World War II. I had, of course, read some about this disturbing portion of American History, but I know that it was certainly not addressed extensively in any of my history courses in school. It was amazing (and disturbing at the same time) to see the collection of photos, artifacts, letters, posters, newspapers, and other items from the concentration ("relocation") camps, and to read about how everything occurred. I truly got lost in this exhibit; I suddenly looked at the clock and realized I had been there for hours, wandering around the small exhibit and reading all of the information, captions, and quotes from Japanese Americans who had lived through this incarceration. I finally had to force myself to leave, as I had taken the subway and walked from the station, and I didn't want to have to walk back too late. (By the way, the Red Line Civic Center stop is an easy half-mile walk from the museum, in case you don't feel like dealing with downtown traffic!)

Okay, so let me quickly share just a little bit about what I learned about...I will try to just write an overview, but it's not easy. "Relocation" of Japanese and Japanese-Americans began in 1942, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, though many leaders in Japanese communities in the U. S. had already been questioned, suspected, and harassed before that. On display at the museum is a copy of the original poster that ordered the forced evacuation of Little Tokyo, where Japanese business owners had already been forced to shut down. The orders directed people of Japanese heritage to pack one suitcase, including bedding and one set of dishes and eating utensils each, and leave their homes and businesses behind for an unspecified amount of time. They were first sent to retention areas, many of which were on fairgrounds- even in stables!- until the "relocation" camps could be hastily built in very remote areas. They were then sent to these camps, often separated from family, and were forced to live there in crowded conditions with minimal supplies.

At first, Japanese Americans had been dismissed from the armed forces. Then, as the war raged on, they began recruiting men and women directly from the camps to join segregated units. Eventually, many men were drafted from the camps to join the war. Imagine being called to serve in a war for a country that had stripped you of your rights and forced you to leave your home to live in sub-standard conditions for no reason! I learned that the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442 Regimental Combat Team, both all-Nisei (second generation Japanese immigrants) unit, had the highest casualty rate and was the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in U. S. military HISTORY. Many Nisei soldiers fought and died for the country that was holding the rest of their family captive in the middle of the desert- or other locations where no one wanted to live.

The exhibit features a 860-building scale model of Manzanar, the "relocation center" in Inyo County, California, a powerful representation of the stark, military-like camps where 120, 313 people were incarcerated. But perhaps the most powerful piece in the exhibit is an actual barrack from Heart Mountain Camp in Wyoming. A group of people- many who had either been in relocation camps or had family member who were- got together to first disassemble the building in Wyoming, then reassemble it in the museum. Inside the reconstructed wall frame are pictures and quotes from the people involved in the process. The overall theme was that of tearing down the walls, piece by piece, then putting them back together, much like taking the horrible experiences and memories apart and dealing with them on a reflective and healing level to help build who they are now.

Again, I could go on, but I won't. If you haven't been, please visit this museum. I would highly recommend bringing American History classes to see this exhibit. And although I do not teach American History, I am still going to try to find a way to incorporate the information I learned and the deeper connection I made to the topic into my classes.

The Japanese American Museum is located at 369 East First Street in LA 90012. The telephone number is 213-625-0414. Their website: http://www.janm.org

They are open Tuesdays-Sundays 11-5 and Thursdays until 8pm. Admission is only $8 for adults AND there is free admission from 5-8pm on Thursdays and FREE ALL DAY the third Thursday of EACH month!