Portraits of Courage

Mas Tsuida, C Company, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, is featured in Shane Sato’s new book, “The Go For Broke Spirit: Portraits of Legacy.”

“The Go For Broke Spirit: Legacy in Portraits” is a photographic and video exhibit opening at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC), 244 S. San Pedro St. in Little Tokyo, from Nov. 3 to 24.

The exhibit illustrates the stories of the Japanese American soldiers who fought in America’s wars through the work of photographer Shane Sato, whose portraits of Japanese American WWII veterans are featured in his book “The Go for Broke Spirit: Portraits of Courage” and the soon-to-be-released “The Go for Broke Spirit: Portraits of Legacy.”

The exhibit will also feature interviews of Japanese American veterans of the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf wars in a short video documentary co-created by Robert Horsting and Sato.

The public is welcome to attend the opening reception on Sunday, Nov. 3, at 1 p.m.

On Saturday, Nov. 9, a Veteran’s Forum will provide an opportunity to hear from a panel of veterans on their varied experiences. Organized by the Veterans Memorial Court Alliance, the exhibition is also designed to bring greater awareness of the Japanese American National War Memorial Court located adjacent to the JACCC, the only memorial of its kind dedicated to Japanese American soldiers killed in action during all of America’s wars.

Since 2009, the Veterans Memorial Court Alliance has coordinated efforts to maintain and preserve the Memorial Court with the support of its founding organizations. The mission of the alliance is to educate, inform and provide community forums on the heroic contributions of Japanese Americans in all wars of the United States and to foster understanding and appreciation of their patriotic accomplishments to eliminate prejudice and discrimination and to erect, preserve and maintain other monuments and memorials dedicated to that cause.

For more information, contact Helen Ota at (213) 628-2725 ext 131 or hota@jaccc, or Sato at shane@shanesato.com or www.thegoforbrokespirit.com.