Graffiti Board

I had fun working with my group on this graffiti board. Once we got past brainstorming for what we could put on it, it was all a matter of artistic know-how. Thankfully, we had an art teacher - Jane!

I like how we incorporated three flags onto our board - the Japanese (naval/war flag), the American flag (before Hawaii became a state), and the Hawaiian flag. They symbolize the three cultures in the story. We played up the Japanese flag by also turning it into a baseball diamond/Diamond grass, making the red sun a pitcher's mound and baseball in one! The Hawaiian flag is "trapped behind bars," meaning that Hawaiians have been "locked aside" to see their land become a battle ground for two foreign/imperial powers. The American flag is meant to symbolize how Tomi and his family desire to be (seen as) American despite their Japanese heritage.

My section depicts three birds (the racing pigeons) that Tomi and Grandpa had to kill, as ordered by the American military officials. To me, it was as if Tomi and Grandpa had to bleed out of themselves all their pride, honor, and freedom to be Japanese on "American soil."

Cohort 2 participants: Brett, Roque, Jane, Fritzie, Christine