Beautiful Sky Golf Course
2019
Beautiful Sky Golf Course is the first work of this series in which Tsutaja focused on the case of the Fort Missoula Alien Detention Camp, Missoula, MT. In this Alien Detention Camps, only Issei (Japanese immigrants, the first generation who were not allowed to get U.S. citizenship) were detained without their wife and children. They were the ones who immigrated to the U.S. before 1924 when the U.S. banned the Japanese immigration, had lived for 30 or 40 years in the U.S., worked hard, raised family, succeeded to their business, and became the influential community leaders. They had been listed on the FBI's ABC list, arrested right after Pearl Harbor and transported to the Fort Missoula. The purpose of the U.S. government with this camp was to find "the dangerous alien enemies" through the Loyalty Hearings. Golf ball characters were born from the facts in which Japanese internees made a handmade golf course for themselves during waiting for their judgement. Through the new combination of "Japanese" and "golf," I am challenging to question for the stereotypes with racism.
Watch 2.5 min excerpt video of Beautiful Sky Golf Course
Review (Hyperallergic)
© 2015 Gaku Tsutaja