My name is Noriko. This is a statue made by sculptor Nina Akamu, which stands at the Japanese American Memorial in Washington DC.  This crane is a symbol of strength, hope and unity for people from all cultures and nationalities, and serves as a testament to the patriotism of the Japanese American community. The memorial serves as a gathering place for a variety of APA events.  I often bring out-of-town visitors to this memorial to reflect upon the imprisonment of Japanese Americans in the U.S. during WWII, and hopefully, they will realize that this also stands as a memorial to the future - which conveys the message that such an event should never be repeated.