For the Ology of Apology Project, my group and I created a memorial about the Japanese internment, which we learned about by taking notes from videos, PowerPoints, and by reading Obasan by Joy Kogawa. I also learned about the Chinese Head Tax and the Komagata Maru. These events showed me how many groups in Canada have faced discrimination and unfair treatment. I realized how important it is to learn about these acts and reflect on what had happen, so we don’t forget them and make the same mistakes again. In this project, I practiced presenting, looking at different perspectives, and learning how to take solid notes. From reading Obasan, I found it very helpful to highlight key information, so I could go back to it, and also so it could really resonate in my brain. Although next time I could work on my time management, being consistent with reading and not leaving it to the last minute. 

My group and I created our memorial from scratch, coming up with what it would look like and the meanings behind each element of the memorial. As an example, the shattered glass represents the harm that was done, but the cherry blossoms symbolize a new beginning, hope and growth. When working in a group, it uses a lot of communication and collaboration, especially for this project, with so many elements needed to make the final result stand out and to be memorable. Presenting made me realize the importance of being able to explain my thoughts clearly, making it engaging, but also making sure people understand and learn. Next time I would manage my time better when reading the book, and also for creating the memorial. 

Here is an example of some of the notes I took:

To answer the driving question, “How can we keep an apology alive so the wrongs of the past are remembered and not repeated today?”, I think we should of course educate others. Such as sharing stories from different perspectives, and creating memorials to help people remember these horrible times in history. Learning about the Japanese internment, Chinese Head Tax, and Komagata Maru taught me that apologies are only meaningful if we continue to talk about what happened and make sure it never happens again. By creating a memorial and learning from Obasan, I have learned the importance of remembering the past, sharing these parts in history to educate people, and to remind others by using a memorial.

Here is the final result of out memorial: