A Cage Built of Jade: Detention and Determination at the Angel Island Immigration Station explores the history and poetry of Angel Island. The exhibit takes visitors inside the Immigration Station, where 300,000 immigrants were detained for days, weeks, months, or sometimes years upon their arrival in San Francisco.
The exhibit’s exterior is wrapped in photographs and text describing the Immigration Station’s role in enforcing the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act and explaining how poetry gave a voice to those determined to start a new life in America against all odds. The interior of A Cage Built of Jade contains a faithful re-creation of one of the site’s best-preserved poems, “Detained in this Wooden House.” Additional content enhances the visitor experience by immersing them in a 1:1 scale replica room surrounded by the light and sounds of the barracks.
Audience:
families, AANHPIs, students
Rental Fee:
Contact AIISF for more information
Security:
Limited
Space Requirements:
Physical footprint: 200 ft² (approximately 16.4 x 12’)
Recommended: 400 ft² (exhibit + ADA accessibility)
Installation Time:
Two preparators, approximately 2 hours
Exhibit Components:
• 3 SEG pop-up walls, each 144 x 96”
• 1 SEG pop-up wall, 96 x 96”
• 1 SEG pop-up wall, 60 x 96”
• 1 projector and USB with audio/video
• 1 single bulb lighting kit
• 1 exhibit fastener kit
• 1 interpretive brochure
Additional Details:
Five double-sided, silicone-edge graphics feature photographs and interpretive text on the outside and a re-creation of Room 111 of the detention barracks on the inside. The exhibit is suitable for indoor display only. Sites will receive a small projector and lighting kit that requires access to power. Digital content includes a video of projected light from the room’s window and an ambient soundscape.
*Bookings can be extended up to 12 weeks for no additional cost. Please inquire about availability. Shipping costs vary by location.
• September 25 - 28, 2024 — Western Museums Association Annual Meeting (Tucson, AZ)
• October 2024 to January 2025 — Angel Island Immigration Museum (Tiburon, CA)
• February 18 - 21, 2025 — California Association of Museums Annual Conference (San Francisco, CA)
• The exhibit is available to book after February 2025.
