A 9-foot-tall dark granite obelisk on the corner of Venice Blvd and Lincoln Blvd raises similarities to one of America’s darkest hours, forever etching that time into the area’s history.
That object, the Venice Japanese American Memorial Monument (VJAMM), marks the spot where more than a thousand people of Japanese ancestry were transported directly to the American concentration camp at Manzanar in eastern California, with many remaining incarcerated for over three years. As the monument’s committee hosted the seventh annual commemoration of the structure, the gathered crowd of VJAMM participants and representatives from throughout Los Angeles sought to make sure the future does not repeat the twisted past.
In opening remarks, Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park thanked the committee for contributing to the monument, while expressing how members of the Venice, Santa Monica and Malibu communities were subject to “one of our country’s most shameful chapters.”
“[This is] a silent, but meaningful reminder of a past that we should strive to never repeat, but we would do well to never forget,” Park said.
Those taken to Manzanar were ripped from their homes without any regard for due process, violating their rights as United States citizens under the Constitution. Once they arrived, they were subjected to blistering summers, freezing winters and constant sweeps of dust carried by high winds. Indoor conditions were no better, given little in the way of resources, leading to rampant sickness. Park stated she recently visited Manzanar as a reminder of the oppressive scenario.
“Walking through the footprints of that time, I can still hear voices on that desert wind [of] those who suffered there not too many years ago,” Park said. “As time goes on, sadly, we hear less and less frequently from those actual voices, but we won’t ever forget them. This monument and the community that sought its place here have ensured that.”
After presenting a certificate to the committee on behalf of her District 11 and the City of Los Angeles, Park’s speech transitioned into remarks from VJAMM committee member Alice Shek, who explained the committee’s thought process behind the structure. Shek noted that the committee was worried that post-9/11 patriotic fanaticism could lead to a similar scenario to Japanese concentration, and that the monument’s relevance remains strong in today’s social and political climate.
“Reminding our community that this could happen again was a good idea, we thought … this would encourage communities to remain vigilant, to speak out and to organize against injustice and help prevent future violations of civil rights,” Shek said.
The commemoration ceremony also included the reading of quotes on one side of the monument from those imprisoned at Manzanar. Family members of those quoted spoke on their ancestors’ various struggles, and VJAMM committee member Brian Tadashi Maeda talked about his documentary We Said No! No! about those imprisoned at the Tule Lake camp in Siskiyou County, California. The documentary will be playing at the Santa Monica Main Library at 2pm on May 11, followed by a panel discussion with the cast and crew.
Representatives from the offices of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, California State Senator Ben Allen and U.S. Congressman Ted Lieu spoke on Thursday, as well as local voices such as the committee and Venice Art Council’s Emily Winters, Venice Community Housing Co-Directors Becky Dennison and Erika Lee, and the committee and Venice High School Alumni Association’s Nikki Gilbert.
In the hours following the commemoration, VJAMM members hosted their 12th annual fundraising event at Hama Sushi Restaurant in Venice. During the dinner period, 10 percent of all sales was donated to VJAMM for ongoing maintenance, educational outreach and the annual Arnold Maeda Manzanar Pilgrimage Grant. The grant encourages college students to research the activism and legacy of Maeda, who became a charter member of the monument committee in 2010.
For more information on the monument and the committee, visit venicejamm.org