What is the National Japanese American Memorial?
The National Japanese American Memorial will honor the Japanese American contribution to the nation during World War II and serve as a reminder of the sufferings endured by Japanese Americans as victims of prejudice and wartime incarceration. The Memorial will be located in Washington, D.C., just north of the Capitol on a triangular plot bounded by Louisiana Avenue, New Jersey Avenue and D Street NW. Sculptor Nina A. Akamu’s symbolic cranes will top the monument. Each of two cranes has one wing stretched toward the sky and pressed against the wing of the other crane; the other wings are pinned to the base of the sculpture with barbed wire. The “Go for Broke” National Veterans Association Foundation started the drive to build the Memorial in 1988, and President George Bush authorized its construction in 1992. For more information, see the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation webpage. Back to top.
