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The Tanforan Memorial is located just outside the BART station in San Bruno, California at the site of the Tanforan detention camp. The memorial is free and open to the general public 24/7. Scroll down to learn more about the different features of this exhibit.
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Bronze Statue
The centerpiece of the memorial is a large bronze statue created by artist Sandra Shaw. This statue was inspired by photographs taken by Dorothea Lange on May 8, 1942, of Miyuki and Hiroko Mochida, dressed in their Sunday best, on the way with family members from Hayward, California, to the detention center at Tanforan. |
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Replica Horse Stall
Before becoming a detention center, Tanforan was a professional horse racing track. During World War II, the US government converted the horse stalls on the site into living quarters for Japanese Americans. Full families had to fit live into 9' x 20' "apartments" that had no ceilings, heating or toilet facilities, or privacy. To demonstrate the horrific and cramped living conditions at Tanforan, the memorial consists of an accurately sized horse stall replica. |
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Walls of Names
The Tanforan Memorial features five walls that list the names of all those who were incarcerated at Tanforan April-October 1942 in alphabetical order. This part of the exhibit honors the 7,984 people detained at Tanforan and demonstrates the magnitude of this unjust incarceration. |
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Granite Donor Pavers
Across the floor of the memorial lay rows of granite pavers that celebrate the numerous donors that helped make the exhibit a reality. The engraved pavers include messages to and in memory of Tanforan survivors. |
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Akebono Cherry Tree
In Japanese culture, cherry trees symbolize both life and death and beauty and violence, a representation of the impermanent nature of life. Please visit the memorial in April to see the cherry blossoms bloom! |
Informational Placards
To educate visitors on the history and legacy of Tanforan, the memorial has multiple sign boards that includes educational information and poems by Japanese/Japanese American artists. Click on each placard below to read.
To educate visitors on the history and legacy of Tanforan, the memorial has multiple sign boards that includes educational information and poems by Japanese/Japanese American artists. Click on each placard below to read.
Memorial UpkeepFor the first year after the ribbon cutting event, community volunteers, TACMC committee members, the San Bruno Lions Club, and Boy Scout Troop 72 completed routine maintenance on a rotating basis. However, it became apparent that the memorial required regular, daily maintenance to look its best. Currently, the memorial contracts with the City of San Bruno's public works department, and this has continued arrangement for nearly two years.
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