Hayward Memorial Art Talk

On Friday, August 11, 2023 the Friends of Topaz Museum sponsored an presentation and gathering at the Hayward Memorial Art sculpture at Heritage Park in Hayward. The art piece, created by Patricia Wakida, honors those of Japanese descent who were forcibly removed from their homes into WWII incarceration camps. Over 600 people boarded buses on Watkins Street (where the memorial is located) and taken first to Tanforan Assembly Center and then to Topaz, Utah. The event included speakers who covered several different aspects of this experience. Victor Fujii spoke about Japanese Americans in the Eden Township area. Robbin Kawabata spoke about the project to create the art piece and the memorial panels also located in the park. Patricia Wakida spoke about the details and inspiration behind the art piece. Fred Shinoda, Topaz survivor, shared his memories of boarding buses to Tanforan in 1942. After the presentations, attendees got sandwiches from the nearby Vietnamese restaurant and ate at the plaza. It was a lovely morning of learning, sharing, and honoring the Japanese American experience in the Hayward area.