Inspiration for Japanese-American Historical Plaza

The history and inspiration behind the expansion of the Bob Murase design in the Waterfront Park

Henry Sakamoto speaks about Executive Order 9066 which forced Americans of Japanese ancestry into internment camps in 1942. Later in 1978, the Day of Remembrance was started, to help the public remember the unconstitutionality of the internment. In 1988, Bill Naito asked Bob Murase to design a monument for the expansion of North Waterfront Park, in honor of the story of Japanese Americans in Portland, and the struggles they endured during internment.