Poston Memorial Monument

The Poston Memorial Monument marks the site where 17,867 persons of Japanese ancestry, the majority of whom were United States citizens, were interned during World War II from May 1942 to November 1945. It was during this time that all persons of Japanese descent in the west coast were forcibly evacuated by the United States military on the grounds they posed a threat to national security. Built in the summer of 1992, the monument sits on land granted by the Colorado River Indian Tribal Council, and financed through donations from survivors and decedents of survivors from the three Poston War Relocation Center camps. The designers of the monument, Ray Takata and Stephan Hamamoto, say that the monument's single 30-foot concrete pillar symbolizes "unity of spirit," and the 12 small pillars situated around the monument make it a working sundial. Trees and other landscaping were donated by Camp I detainees and their families.