When the children of Japanese war brides were growing up in the 60s and 70s, the influence of White Australia policy was still present and the children were sometimes bullied at school. Unlike today, it was a time when people had to hide their non-White identity to make things easy for themselves.
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WWII 80: Roots of success, granddaughters of Japanese war brides embrace the past
SBS Japanese
11:28
However, since the 1980s, the Australian policy and society surrounding immigrants have changed from assimilation to multiculturalism. The society has become a place, where it is important to be proud of your roots and respectful of the different roots that others have.
Through the discoveries and connections made by the grandchildren of war brides, some of the generation of parents (the children of Japanese war brides) who grew up under the assimilation policy were finally able to embrace their Japanese heritage and deepen their understandings of their Japanese mothers.
In 2023 author Alli Parker has published a novel, At The Foot Of The Cherry Tree, based on her grandparents' story. Artist Elysha Rei has created artworks, including ‘Rabbit (proof) fence’, with inspiration from what happened to her Japanese grandmother. Historian Anna Wilkinson is also pursuing her PhD with research on Asian war brides to Australia, including Japanese war brides.
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