Voices of Japanese War Brides: Journeys to America’s Heartland

Saturday, February 21

Voices of Japanese War Brides: Journeys to America’s Heartland

1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Tickets Required: Pay What You Like*

Presented by Ayako Mizumura, Assistant Director of the Center for East Asian Studies, University of Kansas.

Following World War II, more than 50,000 Japanese women immigrated to the U.S. as the wives of American servicemen to begin new lives in a foreign land. Drawing from her long-term oral history project, Ayako Mizumura shares the compelling life stories of those Japanese women who settled in the Heartland, with a special focus on those who called Kansas home.

While these women became deeply rooted in Kansas as wives, mothers, and grandmothers, little is known about their individual personal journeys. Join us to explore their diverse experiences – not only the hardships and struggles, but also the incredible courage, strength, and determination that defined their lives. Discover how these women embraced a new home while keeping their vibrant Japanese identities alive.

This program compliments Miss Shizuoka, our Japanese Friendship doll, on view in The Charles & Anna Milbank Library located on the first floor.

*Pay What You Like means that a fee is required to attend this program, but the amount you pay is at your discretion.

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