“Japanese War Brides and the Politics of Belonging at Fort Bliss”
This month we welcome TCU PhD Candidate Riley Ford who will discuss her research into Japanese war brides in Texas. Following World War II, Japanese women entered the United States in large numbers with their American servicemen husbands, some of whom ended up stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso. While living at Fort Bliss, they banded together to create the Japanese American Women’s Club, a group dedicated to learning all about America—from how to vote in elections to cooking a fine pot roast. The Club enabled members to use cultural exchange to both maintain their Japanese identity and claim citizenship through participation in club activities focused on learning American ideals. Don’t miss this fascinating look into a little-known slice of post-war life. Program is free.
Riley Ford is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of History at Texas Christian University. Her dissertation examines Japanese war brides and Brides’ Schools. Brides’ Schools were an initiative to Americanize foreign wives of U.S. servicemen following World War II. Her research situates Brides’ Schools in the larger history of the military, occupied nations, the Cold War era, domesticity, immigration laws, and American culture and customs.