Mother Asa

This is a portrait of my great grandmother, Asa, who was born into a  dying village in Fukushima. As a young woman she became a picture bride, immigrating to California by sea voyage, and became the wife of a migrant fruit picker. Less than 20 years later she was incarcerated during WWII with her husband and 4 children. After the war, she found herself starting all over again, having lost everything. –Artist statement