Japanese
American
Internment
Memorial
by Ruth Asawa
Both a celebration and a lamentation,
this bronze bas-relief memorial, created
in 1994, sits in front of the FEDERAL
BUILDING COURTHOUSE. One side provides a
portrait of the thriving Japanese American
community, prior to their internment
during World War II. The opposite side
reveals the dark turn of events brought
on by WWII, with images tracing both the
history of internment camps and glimpses
of life inside them. It evokes Executive
Order 9066—signed by Franklin Roosevelt—
authorizing the internment, the
realities of the camps themselves and
its aftermath. The memorial serves as a
timeless reminder of the many ways that
fear-mongering imperils our democracy
when it targets anyone “not like us.”
June/July 2019 87
Idea Tree
by Soo-in Yang
Just as the San Jose’s MCENERY CONVENTION CENTER is
meant to hold space for ideas and discussion, this artwork
at its front entrance is meant to encourage thoughtful
interactions. Resembling a canopy, a series of steel rings
are interconnected and covered with translucent green
pieces of polycarbonate in the shape of leaves. At the center
of this canopy known as the “Fruit,” sound equipment
whispers a mix of audio messages recorded by community
in a nearby sculptural sound booth known as the “Seed.”
The community’s participation embodies Yang’s hope for
the piece to stimulate meaningful conversations.