A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution Essa

A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution Introduction Located on the third floor of the National Museum of American History, "A More Perfect Union" documents the forced relocation of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II. The exhibit focuses on the violation of constitutional rights that occurred during this process. The purposes of this review are as follows: describe the scope, purpose, and message of the exhibit, analyze how that message is organized and communicated, evaluate the effectiveness of the exhibit, and interpret the exhibit as a cultural artifact. Description During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Japanese immigrated to the United States and started new lives on the West Coast or Hawaii. The majority of these people, as well as their children, held U.S. citizenship; however, due to the racial prejudice and distrust of World War II these Japanese Americans were denied their rights guaranteed in the Constitution. This statement is the overall message of "A More Perfect Union." "A More Perfect Union" begins with the image of the Constitution portrayed on a large wall. Nearby, the Bill of Rights is shown and explained. The privileges guaranteed by these documents are fully developed through prose and quotations. The freedoms associated with U.S. citizenship are all clear in the minds of the museum goers as they proceed to the next section. The second section of the exhibit contains information on the immigration and assimilation of the Japanese into the culture of the West Coast and Hawaii. This area shows how the first generation of immigrants, or issei, traveled over the Pacific to an entirely new nation and society. Many soon became citize... ...on. She felt the message of the exhibit was "to apologize for the Americans who acted out of hysteria in imprisoning a multitude of fellow citizens who were completely innocent." A large portion of her review is devoted to expanding this apology concept. In my opinion, the purpose of the exhibit should be to educate, not to ask forgiveness. Conclusion I feel that "A More Perfect Union" did an excellent job of telling the true story of the Japanese internment. It also was successful in celebrating the achievements of the Japanese American people. The only flaws I found in the exhibit were the unnecessary emphasis on Japanese American soldiers and the praising of the American people and their use of the Constitution. All other aspects of the exhibit, especially the artifacts and audio-visual displays, were suitably used to tell the story of the Japanese relocation.