The National Japanese American Memorial, "Golden
Cranes"
The National Memorial to
Patriotism is
situated 600 yards from our Nation’s Capital. It is a
universal symbol of strength, hope and unity to people
from all cultures and nationalities and serves as a
testament to the patriotism of the Japanese American
community.
Engraved on the granite walls are the names of the
internment camps that were located in the Midwest and
Western United States during World War II. A total of
120,000 men, women and children of Japanese ancestry were
incarcerated, three quarters of them were American
citizens. The number under each camp name corresponds to
the number of internees held. Also engraved on the walls
are quotes by politicians and the list of names of the
Japanese American soldiers who served and gave their lives
for this country. A total of 30,000 Japanese Americans
served in the military.
Background
Both of my parents were born American citizens in Hawaii,
both spoke English fluently as their only language. My
father Ah-Kui Akamu was half-Chinese and half-Japanese. He
served in the United States Air Force for 28 years,
retiring as a Senior Master Sergeant. My mother’s family
was deeply affected by the internment. At the outbreak of
WWII, immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, all
Japanese community leaders, school teachers, preachers and
business people were arrested by the FBI. My Mother’s
father, a storeowner living in Hawaii for 40 years was ill
with diabetes when he was arrested. He was sent to a
relocation camp on Sand Island in Pearl Harbor. Without
proper medical care, he suffered a fatal heart attack
within 3 months of being incarcerated.
I lived in Hawaii for 8 years as a young child. On weekends
my Father and I would go fishing in Pearl Harbor. Buildings
surrounding the harbor were riddled with bullet holes. Our
small boat would pass over the ominous dark shapes of
sunken battle ships partly submerged in the water. Spots of
oil would float to the surface, creating translucent
colored rings, a small visual clue as to what lay beneath
us.
From 1966 to 1969 we lived in Japan. It was here that I was
first influenced by various traditional art forms in
painting and sculpture. The diversity of materials,
meticulous craftsmanship, refined aesthetic sensibilities
and pervasive spiritual quality expressed in Japanese art
made a lasting impression on me.
After receiving my BFA from the Maryland Institute of Art,
Baltimore, Maryland, I moved to Florence, Italy for 5 years
to sculpt and study Italian Renaissance masterworks with my
mentor Joseph Sheppard. We then moved to Pietrasanta, Italy
on the Northwest coast for 7 years. Pietrasanta has been
known for centuries as an international mecca for marble
and bronze sculptors.
Oddly enough, Pietrasanta and the nearby town of Massa were
also where the Gothic line in Italy was during WWII. The
Japanese American soldiers landed on the beaches 5 miles
away and climbed the steep mountains as they attempted to
push the German soldiers back. A few years after I left
Pietrasanta, a monument to a Japanese American soldier was
erected 300 yards from where I had lived. It is the only
monument of its kind in all of Europe.
INSPIRATION BORN OF TRAGEDY
As a third generation Japanese American, I was distanced
from the traumatic events of the past. Having been
commissioned to create the centerpiece sculpture, I studied
references on the Japanese experience during WWII. I read
history, watched archived videos and listened to the
recollections of Japanese American veterans and internees.
I studied photos of an alienated people caught in a dark
and desolate moment of time. There was a common thread in
the fabric of these personal histories, yet each experience
was uniquely woven.
The experiences of my family’s tragedy, the resonance of
places, the accounts and memories were powerful inspiration
for the creation of a sculpture. I understood how much this
Memorial meant to a community that had suffered so terribly
in a time of war hysteria.
Although the sculpture has references to this particular
community and their experiences during the war, its
symbolic impact frees it from the confines of a
specifically ethnic-bound life experience, encouraging the
inclusion of each individual, society, and humanity as a
whole.
Since preliterate times, the image of wings and the bird in
flight have been universal symbols associated with freedom
and transcendence of the human condition. More
specifically, certain species of birds are endowed with
unique significance. The American Bald Eagle represents the
spirit and strength of the United States. The white dove
has religious and peaceful connotations, and the owl is
synonymous with wisdom.
Over the centuries, the Japanese crane has been widely
depicted in Asian art and literature, representing
happiness and longevity. Cranes were personified in
folklore, having been given those noble qualities for which
humans strive.
On one level, the inversion of the symbols of happiness and
freedom and the use of barbed wire represent the
internment, injustices and sacrifices suffered by Japanese
Americans during the war. The crane holds specific
significance for this particular community, but its message
is not simply ethnic. Humans share recognition of the
universality of suffering and a longing for freedom.
Therefore, the sculpture is also an evocation of strength
and a testament to the power of the human spirit.
The identical position of the birds’ bodies represents the
dualistic principle of opposites, yin and yang, and the
interrelation of action and reaction within the sphere of
life’s possibilities. The birds strive to release
themselves from the barbed wire. Each presses its powerful
free wing, balancing the other; reaching skyward, they
unite in a single desire for freedom.
On its tall base, the shape of the birds’ spiraling wings
and outward sweep of golden feathers is visible above the
stark granite walls. As a shining beacon of hope, it is
symbolic of one’s ability to rise above limitations. The
symmetrical vertical wings resemble the eternal flame of
freedom as they reflect the brilliance of the sun’s rays.
At its full height of 14 ft., the sculpture has made a
transition from rough textured base to an arc of flaming
feathers in a series of sweeping curves. This golden helix
of blade-like feathers cutting the sky expresses the
constant dance and continuum of life and death, between
matter and spirit and the limited and the infinite. It is
the place where the extremes are reunited through the power
of their distance. It is the place of transcendence and
oneness.
The suffering experienced through the episodes of the
tragedy of Japanese Americans are not accidents or
occasional incidents, but have proven to be constant
throughout the history of human life. Therefore, as an
individual, community or nation, our survival and evolution
depend on our ability to remember and honor the struggles
of the past---while being consciously engaged in the
heartfelt challenges of the present, as we remain
optimistic for the future.
Nina Akamu
© Nina Akamu 2007