But people should look at it. A Japanese-American family is evacuated from San Francisco to a War Relocation Authority center April 6, 1942. Since its inception in 1985, with just one full-time staff member, the museum has grown into a formidable institution in its own right. We talk a lot at the national level about diversity, not just within the profession, but within the interpretation. Dirt from the 10 camps is displayed on the ground in separate panels with Plexiglas coverings.
Visitors are welcome to walk on the panels, which are labeled by camp name.
The panel for Topaz, Utah, includes 10 unassuming marbles. In the 1940s, a boy named Toru Saito buried his prized marble collection in the desert in front of his barrack. Decades later, Saito revisited Topaz, and curiously began digging. The popularity of the museum's additions has surprised even its administrators. In the first five months, the museum has had more than 100,000 visitors, including Japan's prime minister and Princess Saiyoko.