Year of the Snake Art+
Posted January 30
Fred Korematsu Day
Civil Rights leader who challenged the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.
Lunar New Year Performance by LionDanceMe
Asian Art Museum
Sunday, February 2, 2:30pm
FREE First Sunday
LionDanceMe returns for another performance, bringing laughter and good fortune for the Lunar New Year.
Known for blending traditional Chinese cultural art with modern entertainment—and even being featured on America’s Got Talent —Lion Dance Me is dedicated to spreading the art of lion dancing to the general public and future generations, preserving and celebrating this vibrant tradition.
For tickets to this FREE event, click here.
Tree of Remembrance
Asian Art Museum
February 20 – 24
On view for one weekend, Tree of Remembrance honors the legacy of the original Wakasa Memorial Monument. This installation reflects on the painful chapter of American history that began with the signing of Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, which led to the forced removal of Japanese Americans from the West Coast to incarceration camps during World War II.
The tragic loss of life, including the murder of James Hatsuaki Wakasa by a guard at the Topaz Incarceration Camp, serves as a somber reminder of the hardships faced by Japanese Americans during this period. In the years since, the U.S. government has acknowledged these wrongs and offered redress. Every February, Americans are invited to reflect on the impact of racial profiling and to honor those who endured injustice.
Original Wakasa Memorial Monument
On April 11, 1943, James Hatsuaki Wakasa was shot and killed by a military sentry as he was walking his dog near the fence that encircled the Topaz concentration camp. His killing was ruled as “justified” during a military trial although no evidence exists to explain why. Nearly 2,000 Topaz incarcerees attended Mr. Wakasa’s funeral. However, after friends erected a monument in his memory, they were ordered to remove it. Its location was unknown until 2020, when a hand-drawn map was found in the National Archives and two archaeologists found the monument partially buried in plain sight at Topaz. It is an unmarked stone, weighing about half-a-ton and looks quite ordinary.
In July 2021, the archaeologists published a series of reports about the discovery of the Wakasa Monument, including its exact location, which preservationists discourage due to the risk of defacement or looting. In the midst of anti-Asian racism and previous acts of vandalism at the Topaz incarceration site, the Topaz Museum Board of Directors feared for the safety of the Wakasa Monument and acted swiftly to move the stone from its unprotected location at Topaz to the Topaz Museum courtyard in Delta where it is enclosed and secure.
Some people who had been involved in the discussions about the monument’s future were outraged the Museum had acted without their input and formed the Wakasa Memorial Committee (WMC), demanding equal partnership in future plans for the Wakasa Monument and its original site at the Topaz concentration camp. The Museum Board apologized for removing the monument without notifying stakeholders, explaining that moving the monument was solely a question of protection.
The Topaz Museum Board is now working to implement recommendations from the National Park Service after requesting one of its teams to assess the current condition of the Wakasa Monument and its original location at the Topaz site. The Board will be reaching out to the community for suggestions on the future display of the Monument.
Memory Tags
The Asian Art Museum invites visitors to join in a weekend of reflection through this immersive installation, which includes projections, sculpture, and community gathering. Visitors are encouraged to share their thoughts and memories by writing on a memory tag and adding it to the Tree of Remembrance.
For more information about the Asian Art Museum, click here.
