Traveling: Courage and Compassion

Since July 2017, GFBNEC has launched a traveling exhibition entitled Courage and Compassion: Our Shared Story of the Japanese American World War II Experience through a partnership with 14 communities across the United States.

Courage and Compassion chronicles the stories of Japanese Americans during and immediately after WWII, and highlights the bravery, integrity, and extraordinary support of Japanese Americans within communities across the country during that turbulent time.

Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, plunged the United States into WWII and forever changed the lives of Japanese Americans across the nation. Those living on the West Coast of the mainland United States were forced from their homes to isolated incarceration camps scattered across the American West and South. Denied their Constitutional rights and imprisoned without trial, approximately 120,000 residents of Japanese ancestry–nearly two-thirds of whom were American citizens–were forced to leave their lives behind simply because they looked like the enemy.

Through the use of images, audio and interactive elements, Courage and Compassion provides a 360-degree perspective of the WWII experience of Americans of Japanese ancestry while exploring its relevance today.

The exhibition honors everyday people in cities and towns across America who rose above the wartime hysteria to recognize Japanese Americans as friends, neighbors and fellow citizens.

Courage and Compassion is made possible through a collaboration between Go For Broke National Education Center and communities across the country.

Each community has reached into its past to recognize local voices of conscience that embody the American ideal of justice for all. Courage and Compassion is available to come to your community.

This project was funded, in part, by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Government. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government.

This material received Federal financial assistance for the preservation and interpretation of U.S. confinement sites where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, the U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability or age in its federally funded assisted projects. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire further information, please write to:

Office of Equal Opportunity
National Park Service
1201 Eye Street, NW (2740)
Washington, DC 20005

Bring Courage And Compassion To Your Community

Courage and Compassion: Our Shared Story of the Japanese American World War II Experience chronicles the stories of Japanese Americans during and immediately after WWII, and highlights local community stories of bravery and integrity by American citizens who provided support to Japanese Americans during that time of crisis.

The traveling exhibition is a partnership between your organization and GFBNEC and includes a framework to tell the local story within your community.

Working as a consultant, GFBNEC will work to:

seamlessly integrate your community’s story and local content into the national story.
set-up the exhibition to accommodate different types of venues (approx. 1,000 sq. ft. in total).
provide all required components, interactives and supplies engage visitors including Nisei veteran trading cards for visitors to take with them.

For more information about Courage and Compassion, email courageandcompassion@goforbroke.org.