Produced by Contra Costa JACL.
Only skeletal outlines remain of the greenhouses that once formed the nucleus of a cohesive Japanese American flower growing community in Richmond, CA. Uprooted by the federal government and forcibly removed from their homes and businesses, these growers spent the duration of World War II in barren desert concentration camps.
Picking up the pieces, Ruby Adachi Hiramoto, Flora Ninomiya, and Tom Oishi recount the struggle, dismay and resiliency of the familes who returned to reclaim their place in the floral industry and in the changing Richmond neighborhood.
Running time: 19 min.
Read these articles on Discover Nikkei to learn more about the film:
Blossoms and Thorns: A Community Uprooted: New documentary portrays a vanishing industry
Cultivating remembrance: An interview with filmmaker Kenneth Kokka
Also available;
Flowers From Mariko/Paperback
