Executive Order 9066 Memorial Garden Proposal, 2020.
Our public art proposal is in honor of UC Berkeley alumni and faculty impacted by the internment of Japanese Americans during the World War II period of 1942-1946, as imposed by Executive Order 9066. We want to create an extension of the cherry blossom grove on the UC Berkeley campus in order to draw a more inviting space that better informs people of the significant history of the internment and its subsequent Asian American civil rights movements, whose roots are deeply tied within the UC Berkeley community. The proposal features a zen garden impervious to harsh weather, inspired by Kyoto-style zen gardens, four sets of benches, and an inscribed stone memorial. The installment would grant a permanent juxtaposition to the seasonal blooming of the cherry blossoms, instilling a focus on the continuity of the importance of recognizing and remembering the tragic events that conspired so closely to campus.
Jessie Houng
B.A. Data Science and Economics, 2021
Mackenzie Nishijima
B.A. Philosophy, 2020
Florence Lam
B.A. Mathematics, 2021