I recently saw an ad for the screening of the new film Kintsukuroi.

The title and word kintsukuroi or kintsugi never seemed more appropriate.

Kintsugi or Kintsukuroi – a way to accept things not perfect and to find beauty in the flaws.    To find strength and beauty in something that has been broken or challenging.  Incorporating our wounds into who we are.   

To me this definition so fittingly exemplifies the Issei and Nisei spirit and the philosophy that has impacted and benefitted my generation so much. 

With the anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 and the recent flurry of new executive orders being signed, it seems appropriate to think about this.  The stress and uneasiness that many are feeling is unimaginable, and they could now be left in a similar predicament as our ancestors.  What the Issei and Nisei did serves as a great example in how to navigate difficult times. 

An old Taoist fable also seems to lend a bit of perspective.

Once upon a time there was a farmer whose horse ran away. That evening, all of his neighbors visited him to commiserate, saying, “We’re so sorry to hear your horse has run away.  This is most unfortunate.” To which the farmer simply replied, “Maybe.”

The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and in the evening, everybody came back and said, “Oh, what luck!  You now have eight horses!”  The farmer again simply said, “Maybe.”

The following day the man’s son tried to break one of the wild horses, and while riding it, he was thrown and broke his leg. The neighbors came again and said, “Oh dear, we’re so sorry to hear about your son’s leg.”  The farmer simply responded, “Maybe.”

The next day an enlistment officer came to the farm looking to draft young men into the army, and upon seeing the boy’s broken leg, he left the farm allowing the boy to stay with his father.  Again, all the neighbors came around and said, “How lucky you are that you can keep your son!”  Again, the farmer simply said, “Maybe.”

As difficult as things become, we can never know how a situation may turn out.

I cannot imagine the feeling that the Issei and Nisei had after the signing of Executive Order 9066.  I believe some were able to maintain a similar mindset though.  And though it’s  irrational to say the camps were beneficial, they were able to adapt, making the most out of what life threw at them, giving us a stronger, tighter, and more resilient community.  Who knows what we would be without it?