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Home > LIB > ARCHIVES > EXHIBITS > EXHIBITS_MICROCOSOM

Diversity within a Microcosm: Varieties of Expression in Japanese American Art

Diversity within a Microcosm: Varieties of Expression in Japanese American Art

 

Diversity within a Microcosm: Varieties of Expression in Japanese American Art

The emigration of Japanese to the United States and Hawaii began in the 1860s, and ballooned when the U.S. barred Chinese from entering in 1888. From then until 1920, tens of thousands of Japanese – mostly peasants who were not first-born sons – came to America, leaving behind widespread famine and the threat of conscription in a war against Russia for the promise of a better life in the “Rich Land.”

The Japanese (Issei – first generation) and their American children (Nisei– second generation) were a very visible minority. As they attempted to integrate into American society, rural or urban (about 300 Japanese settled in Chicago before the war), racism and prejudice towards the Japanese were the norm.

December 7, 1941 and the war between Japan and the United States of America escalated racism and prejudice into paranoia and a perceived threat to national security. After Pearl Harbor, Chicago Japanese businesses were closed and some Japanese detained in Department of Justice facilities in Chicago. On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which caused the evacuation and incarceration of 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, the majority American citizens. Camps were built in the wastelands of Arizona, California, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, and Arkansas, and there most Japanese stayed for the duration of the war.

For those released during the war, Chicago – with its wealth of colleges and job opportunities, and, relatively, higher-level of acceptance of Japanese – was one of the select places where internees came to settle. By the end of the war, Chicago’s Japanese population had grown from a few hundred pre-war to over 20,000. Included in this count were returning Nisei who were stranded in Japan when war broke out, Japanese war brides, and some new immigrants.

The next wave of Japanese immigrants came after the passing of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. They were from all levels of Japanese society, and included professionals, business people and students.

The Japanese population in Chicagoland remains about 20,000 today, with about half tracing their ancestry back to the Issei (now including Sansei, Yonsei and Gosei – 3rd, 4th and 5th generation), and the other half newer immigrants (Shin Issei) and their descendants.

This exhibit is an opportunity to consider artwork by Chicagoans of Japanese descent across generations. Although all the artists share traits based on blood, culture and history, the ways they have expressed themselves is a study in diversity.

All items are protected by copyright and/or related rights. Please contact the creator and/or owner for use.

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  • Wilmette Park by Ann Aiko Hori

    Wilmette Park

  • Blown Glass Vase by Sharon Fujimoto

    Blown Glass Vase

  • Silence (Father, Mother, Sister, Brother) by Gardiner Funo O’Kain

    Silence (Father, Mother, Sister, Brother)

  • A Traveler by Jane Ike

    A Traveler

  • Life by Jane Ike

    Life

  • Court of the Lions by Alexander Iko

    Court of the Lions

  • Chicago Cityscape by Kyokuo Iko

    Chicago Cityscape

  • Kimono Variations by Ritsuko Inouye

    Kimono Variations

  • Nisei perseverance by George Kaoru Morishige

    Nisei perseverance

  • Versatility of Kato Polyclay by Donna Kato

    Versatility of Kato Polyclay

  • Mr. and Mrs. Saiki at Senior Citizens Work Center by Mary Koga

    Mr. and Mrs. Saiki at Senior Citizens Work Center

  • Clarity of Thought by Edward Koizumi

    Clarity of Thought

  • Koi on Gold by Jack Matsumoto

    Koi on Gold

  • Repeating Japanese Fans by Rosie Matsuura

    Repeating Japanese Fans

  • Gray Wolf by Kiyoshi Mino

    Gray Wolf

  • Gray Wolf by Kiyoshi Mino

    Gray Wolf

  • Gray Wolf by Kiyoshi Mino

    Gray Wolf

  • Four Seasons by John Miya

    Four Seasons

  • The Small Blue Dot by Colleen Murakami

    The Small Blue Dot

  • Made in China by Joyce Nagata

    Made in China

  • Untitled by Mas Nakagawa

    Untitled

  • Cycle of Renewal #4 by Akemi Nakano Cohn

    Cycle of Renewal #4

  • Trace - 2 by Akemi Nakano Cohn

    Trace - 2

  • Untitled by Ken Nishi

    Untitled

  • Burst by Sarah Nishiura

    Burst

  • Untitled Quilt (black and brown) by Sarah Nishiura

    Untitled Quilt (black and brown)

  • Robe by Yoriko Nishi

    Robe

  • Tea Set by Yukiko Nyhan

    Tea Set

  • Fruit Bowl by Takeya Ochiai

    Fruit Bowl

  • Cat by Ryozo Ogura

    Cat

  • Lincoln Park Lagoon by Tom Okabe

    Lincoln Park Lagoon

  • City View in Blue by Kazu Okutomi and Edward Koizumi

    City View in Blue

  • The Angel by Dellinger Sato

    The Angel

  • Teapot by Janette Shizuko Koga

    Teapot

  • Bitter Oriental by Danielle Tanimura

    Bitter Oriental

  • Visitation by Michael Tanimura

    Visitation

  • Japan Dreams by Melanie Terasaki

    Japan Dreams

  • Alton by Art Towata

    Alton

  • Hakusasonso by Mariko Ventura

    Hakusasonso

  • Queen Maya - Procession to Lumbini Gardens by Aya Yamakoshi

    Queen Maya - Procession to Lumbini Gardens

  • Valentine’s Day/Studio Sampler by Iwao “Rocky” Yamanaka

    Valentine’s Day/Studio Sampler

  • Matcha Stripes by Dawn Yamazi

    Matcha Stripes

 
 
 

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