Date of Award

1-1-2015

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Organizational Unit

College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Anthropology

First Advisor

Bonnie Clark, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Lawrence Conyers

Third Advisor

Ginni Ishimatsu

Keywords

Amache, Internment, Japanese American, Japanese garden, Landscape archaeology

Abstract

Previous research shows that during the period of Japanese American internment gardening became a popular activity for the interned. Primarily approached historically, little work has been conducted to archaeologically analyze the efforts of landscaping by former internees. Gardening activity can paint a better picture of Japanese American identity during the period of forced confinement. This research investigates internee gardens methodologically through surface survey, ground penetrating radar, excavation, oral history, soil chemistry, archaeobotany, and palynology. The thorough investigation of landscaping efforts of internees builds upon knowledge of expression within Japanese American relocation centers, as well as the understanding of a lineage of gardening as Japanese immigrant tradition. Using available materials, gardeners adapted both tradition and environment for the purpose of improving conditions under internment and maintaining an affiliation to heritage. My examination of internee landscaping better explains how many collectively maintained, adapted, and publicly expressed an ethnic identity.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

David Holden Garrison

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

en

File Size

126 p.

Discipline

Archaeology, Asian American Studies

Download



Share

COinS