Cactus Blossoms is a collection of poems written by Japanese American high school students incarcerated at Gila River during WWII.
The documentary Cactus Blossoms Revisited was produced by Koji Lau-Ozawa and Brynn Saito and features the descendants of the Cactus Blossoms poets.
Archival copies of the original publication can be accessed through Densho’s Digital Repository.
Trailer for Cactus Blossoms Revisited with original music composed by Ian Martyn
Gila River was one of two concentration camps in Arizona built on Native American reservations.
The camp imprisoned over 13,000 people during World War II, most of whom were forcibly relocated from California, including members of Brynn and Koji’s families.
Learn more about Koji and Brynn’s efforts to connect with Gila River descendants.
Aerial view of Gila River concentration camp. Photo courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration through Densho’s Digital Repository.