Ribbon Cutting
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On August 27, 2022, more than 750 people, including nearly 50 former Tanforan incarcerees and their families, celebrated the opening of the Tanforan Memorial at a moving ribbon cutting ceremony.
The ceremony, moderated by NBC anchor, Mike Inouye, included a large variety of speakers and performances to commemorate the opening of this historical memorial. Among the speakers were notable California political figures like then-Congresswoman Jackie Speier, California State Senator Josh Becker, and then-California Assembly Speaker ProTem Kevin Mullin, and representatives of key funders such as Dr. Elaine Jackson-Retondo of the National Park Service and Dr. Leroy Morishita of the Japanese American Community Foundation. Grateful Crane Ensemble also performed a touching tribute honoring the legacy of Tanforan. Following the speeches, TACMC President Doug Yamamoto and TACMC Vice President Steve Okamoto unveiled the central bronze statue that portrays the Dorothea Lange photos of two girls on their way to Tanforan in 1942. Before and after the ceremony, the hundreds of visitors toured the newly completed memorial, marveling and reflecting at its poignant messaging. To learn more, a copy of the program listing all of the speakers and singers, photographs from the event and video links of the event are listed here. |
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Groundbreaking
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On February 11, 2022, more than 100 community members joined the Tanforan Committee at a groundbreaking ceremony to launch the start of construction on the memorial. Speakers included then-U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier, San Mateo County Supervisor Dave Pine, and San Bruno Mayor Rico Medina. Equipped with hard hats and shovels, Committee members participated in a ceremonial first dig at the memorial site. Construction on the memorial has continued over the spring and summer.
Media coverage of the groundbreaking included: San Mateo Daily Journal San Jose Mercury News ABC Channel 7 News CBS Channel 5 News Patch |
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