Resilience and Resistance: Japanese American Stories in Children's Literature During Remembrance Day

by Amber Moore on behalf of the CLA Student Committee

Last week was the observation of Remembrance Day (February 19), a date that solemnly acknowledges the anniversary ofExecutive Order 9066, which authorized the unjust incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII, it's particularly meaningful to examine how children's literature helps young readers understand this history. While these stories emerge from one of America's darkest chapters, they also illuminate extraordinary examples of resilience, resistance, and reconciliation that embody core American values. Two contemporary children's books offer powerful entry points for young readers to engage with this complex history while celebrating the strength of the Japanese American community.

Breaking Barriers Through Sport: Wat Kept Playing  by Emily Inouye Huey

Emily Inouye Huey's picture book biography of Wataru "Wat" Misaka provides an inspiring narrative of resistance through athletic achievement. As the first person of color to play in what would become the NBA, Misaka's story demonstrates how talent and determination can transcend racial barriers - even during a time of widespread discrimination against Japanese Americans.
 
The timing of Misaka's achievements makes his story particularly powerful. His success on the basketball court came even as Japanese Americans faced incarceration and prejudice during WWII. His later drafting by the New York Knicks represented not just personal triumph but a symbolic victory in the ongoing struggle for recognition of Japanese Americans as full participants in American society. Through basketball, Misaka found a way to be seen for his abilities rather than his ethnicity, challenging the very prejudices that led to Executive Order 9066.

Community and Connection in Those Who Helped Us: Assisting Japanese Americans During the War by Ken Mochizuki (Author) and Kiku Hughes (Illustrator)

Ken Mochizuki's graphic novel Those Who Helped Us approaches the incarceration period from a different but equally vital perspective, highlighting stories of solidarity between Japanese Americans and their neighbors. Through protagonist Sumiko Tanaka's eyes, readers witness both the trauma of forced removal and the courage of those who chose to stand against injustice. The story demonstrates how bonds of friendship and community persisted even in the face of government-sanctioned discrimination.
 
What makes this book particularly powerful for young readers is its focus on relationships and human connection. While honestly depicting the hardships of incarceration, it also shows how acts of kindness and solidarity helped sustain hope and dignity. The story reminds us that even in America's darkest moments, there were people who chose to uphold fundamental American values of justice and equality.

Teaching Difficult History Through Children's Literature

Both books demonstrate how children's literature can serve as an effective medium for helping young readers engage with challenging historical topics. Through age-appropriate storytelling and compelling individual narratives, they make this complex history accessible while emphasizing themes of resilience and resistance rather than victimization. By sharing these narratives with young readers, we help ensure that future generations understand this history while drawing inspiration from those who exemplified core American values even in the darkest of times.
 
The stories found in Wat Kept Playing and Those Who Helped Us remind us that the Japanese American incarceration experience, while representing a grievous violation of American principles, also revealed extraordinary examples of the American spirit through acts of resistance, resilience, and reconciliation. These children's books help ensure that as we remember this history, we honor not just the injustice but also the indomitable spirit of those who endured it.
 
Both books can be purchased through the Japanese American National Museum and the Wing Luke Museum. For additional content to share with students, please visit Densho.org, a site dedicated to “preserving Japanese American stories of the past for the generations of tomorrow.”

Amber Moore is a Ph.D. student at N.C. State University and a CLA Student Committee Member. In 2024, Amber was one of the recipients of the Vivian Yenika-Agbaw Grant.