Two Buses Set Out: Japanese American Photography, History, and Memory

An historic photograph by Jack Iwata depicting two white buses and a crowd of people saying goodbyes outside the Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple has long stood as an icon of the forced removal of Japanese Americans from Little Tokyo in 1942. The site it depicts later became the original location of the Japanese American National Museum (JANM), which now holds the photo in its collection. Co-presented by JANM and the Yanai Initiative at UCLA, this symposium will explore new research about the photograph and its connection to Japanese American history.

This event brings together scholars and experts in public history and photography to present a new interpretation of this iconic image, examine how its earlier interpretation took shape, and explore the complex ways in which photography, history, and memory intersect. Through this discussion, the symposium invites us to consider how photographs acquire historical meaning, how that meaning is transmitted over time, and how new interpretations can reshape our understanding of the past.

Ann Burroughs, Director and CEO of JANM and Michael Emmerich, Director of the Yanai Initiative and Tadashi Yanai Professor of Japanese Literature at UCLA, will welcome a distinguished group of speakers to include: Emily Anderson, independent scholar and curator; Benjamin Cawthra, Professor of History at Cal State Fullerton; artist Masaki Fujihata; James A. Ganz, Senior Curator of Photographs at The Getty Museum; Clement Hanami, Vice President of Exhibitions and Art Director at JANM; Kristen Hayashi, Director of Collections Management and Access and Curator of History at JANM; Masako Miki, Director of External Relations at JANM; and Yoshiyuki Yamada, Museum Vice Director, NYK Maritime Museum, Yokohama.

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