Tessaku: Mons
Tessaku has a mission very close to my heart; preserving stories from the WWII Japanese American incarceration to inspire empathy for future generations.
I’ve been honored to collaborate on a series of mons*, representing the WRA camps as a way for descendants and survivors to reclaim a part of their history. We are currently in the process of developing more, and aim to create one for each of the 10 main WRA camps. Below are designs developed for Tule Lake, Minidoka and Manzanar; three camps which both Diana and myself had family members incarcerated in. Each mon is inspired by a relevant landmark from each location.
*Mon is a term traditionally referring to a kamon; a family crest or seal.
About Tessaku:
Tessaku’s mission is to preserve stories from the WWII Japanese American incarceration to inspire racial empathy, tolerance and understanding for future generations.
The word itself means iron fence, roughly translated to barbed wire: Tetsu 鉄 is iron, and saku 柵 is fence. It was the title for a short-lived magazine published in Tule Lake. This project began solely to preserve creator Diana Emiko Tsuchida’s family history.
You can purchase the above merchandise and more, in support of Tessaku, on bonfire.
Credits:
Diana Emiko Tsuchida