By Jennifer Pineda

Japanese Plus went to the Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC) to visit their World War ll “Go For Broke” exhibition. There were many photos of families, relatives in the army, the Japanese-American contributions to World War ll, and many more. One thing I noticed while walking around is that most of the photos were in black and white because of the period of time. However, there was one photo that was in color near the entrance that was a reunion of the Japanese-American veterans fighting for the U.S.

While walking around there were many photos that caught my attention. One that captured my attention the most was of three women sitting around a table smiling at the camera, two of whom held babies in their arms, and on the table were three pictures of their husbands in their military uniforms. At first, I thought that this meant their husbands had passed away until I read the caption. “Keep smiling. Our husbands are in the Army while our children grow up behind barbed wire fences.” This was in reference to the Japanese-Americans being in camps because President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066. E.O. 9066 meant Japanese-Americans were sent to camps behind barbed wire fences, weren’t able to leave, and had no role in deciding if they wanted to stay in their homes. The Army took volunteers to help fight in battle and their brave husbands stepped up to the plate along with many other Japanese-Americans, despite being held in imprisonment.

The realization that these babies have to grow up in a harsh environment without their fathers made me feel sad. Then I also realized that the wives must be very worried about their husbands that they can die in the line of fire, and yet these strong women are still able to smile for a picture and continue to live in inadequate living conditions while taking care of their children. There was a deeper meaning behind this photo which is what really captured my attention. Not only the bravery of the husbands fighting in combat but the strength of the mothers. “Keep smiling” is the phrase that made me realize how grateful I should be. It makes us realize how privileged we are and reflect on how we should be more grateful and appreciative.