Origami in Action: The Project Tsuru Connection
Origami in Action
When searching online for art in action, we wondered if there was such a thing as "Protest Origami". We came across the group Solidarity for Tsuru. They have been leaving strands of origami cranes at ICE detention centers since 2018, initially to protest the separation of families. They were well aware of what that looked liked, as their group is made of survivors , families and alliesc of those interred in the Japanese American detention camps of World War II.
We decided to do the same, partially to honor them, and partly to be used as a protest at the closest ICE Detention Center in Burlington Massachusetts. We held Workshops for 4 months. Some people drove over 2 hours to attend ! Since then, we've met many Origami Masters, but mostly novices who just wanted to learn how to fold a paper crane. We finally amassed over a thousand cranes and spoke to the protest groups at the Burlington ICE facility to make plans to hang them there, and perhaps have a short service. We were told by the Interfaith group that helps to coordinate the protests there that that was a very bad idea, that we would immediately be arrested for littering. We found the 5his to be shocking , and for our cranes, long considered to be signs of peace, healing, and love, it was abhorrent. So what to do with our thousand cranes?
We amassed the cranes in different pieces that are now considered an "art installation". They hang in wall hangings, mobiles and banners, and find themselves as jewelry for necklaces , earrings and the like. We offer to speak to community groups about the action, about Solidarity for Tsuru, and about our intentions using origami as Art In Action , as a soft form of protest. While the cranes did not complete their initial goal of being strung at the ICE facility in Burlington, we feel they have a greater calling: to speak to the community, to educate, and to uplift
If you are in our area, and wish us to come and speak to your group, we are happy to do so and will bring the cranes to set up a display for the event. Contact us at the button below
Project Tsuru
Project Tsuru commonly refers to Tsuru for Solidarity, a Japanese-American social justice movement opposing immigrant detention sites and advocating for human rights,drawing on the historical injustice of WWII Japanese American incarceration.
Mission: : To coordinate intergenerational cross community healing circles, addressing the trauma of our shared histories,; also, to protest the U.S. government's use of concentration camps for immigrants and refugees through non-violent direct action, education, and advocacy.
Origin: Founded in 2018 by Japanese-American WWII camp survivors, their descendants, and allies who were alarmed by the conditions in modern detention centers.
Activities: Organizing protests, building solidarity, and to join with other communities of color, and holding
healing circles to address intergenerational trauma.
Symbolism: The organization uses origami cranes (tsuru) to symbolize peace and healing, and the number of cranes often represents the number of people detained.