My family is from Kumamoto (on my Dad’s side) and Fukuoka and Hiroshima (on my Mom’s side). They then moved to New Westminister (on my Dad’s side), Pitt Meadows, and Maple Ridge (on my Mom’s side). Eventually, they ended up on farms around Lethbridge. My grandparents definitely did not talk about what happened. On my maternal grandma’s side, there are a few sansei/yonsei family members who have explored their family history though art and writing. I always got the sense that some felt a bit weird about them doing this publicly. I think it’s healthy, but I don’t think everyone really “got” it.
“It was such a long time ago.”
“I don’t think people really want to hear about that.”
“I guess I’m just not an artsy type.”
I could chalk it up to being from a family that is more interested in cheering for the Oilers than going to a poetry reading or attending an art gallery, but there’s definitely more to it than that.
