Issei Memorial Exhibit: A Legacy of Courage
Byron Folwell
Through the support of a Japanese American Confinement Sites grant and many generous donors, we unveiled Issei: A Legacy of Courage at the community dedication of the Minidoka visitor center during the 2019 Minidoka Pilgrimage.
This exhibit honors the Issei, or immigrant generation of Minidoka incarcerees, through interpretive panels and a memorial wall featuring the names of over 4,400 Issei incarcerated at Minidoka. It honors their sacrifices through times of overwhelming anti-Japanese sentiment, and in enduring the incarceration experience and the impacts of the incarceration in the wartime and post-war eras.
Each component of the exhibit was custom designed. Graphic panels interpret the Issei experience from leaving Japan, the difficulties and triumphs encountered while establishing roots throughout the United States, their incarceration at Minidoka, the daunting prospect of once again beginning their lives anew after the war ended, through to their legacy today.
A memorial name wall recognizes 4,429 first generation Japanese immigrants who courageously set out to build communities from the ground up, only to be forcibly removed and imprisoned by the country they established their lives in. (We will continue to add and correct names as additional information and resources become available). This wall allows their descendants and all visitors to reflect upon the Issei legacy of courage, perseverance, and sacrifice. The base of the wall is crafted from reclaimed lumber, which once stood as the post office at Minidoka and bears witness to the camp years. Engraved poems written by Issei who were incarcerated at Minidoka are reflect on the Issei experience and legacy through their own voices. A complementary exhibit display case currently showcases books that were once part of the Japanese-language library for Issei while they were incarcerated at Minidoka.
Byron Folwell. This bench was donated by Wanda Chin and Terry Dickey in honor of the Alaskans incarcerated at Minidoka. A plaque reads: “Remembering Japanese Alaskans and their families forced to leave their homes.”
The exhibit was produced by Friends of Minidoka in collaboration with architect and exhibit designer Byron Folwell, interpretive writer Meggan Laxalt Mackey, the many volunteers who assisted us throughout the project, and the Minidoka National Historic Site staff.
NPS/Richard Alan Hannon
We hope this exhibit will allow all visitors the opportunity to reflect on and learn from the Issei experience.