LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Lima residents gathered to watch a film made about one of our own who moved here from Japan during World War II.
Lima Sister Cities hosted a showing for "War Bride" on Saturday, a biography about one of their founding members, Keiko Hahn. At age 20, she married an American soldier and moved to Lima, Ohio to begin a new life.
The documentary covers topics like the tragedy she faced living through war, how she came to love someone from an "enemy country," discrimination Hahn experienced in both countries and sheds light on why tens of thousands of women from Japan became war brides.
"There were about 500,000 American soldiers who came to Japan, and about 40,000 of those married Japanese women. They were determined to make a go of it with their husbands when they came to the States," explained Sharon Beckford, who was translating for Ryutaro Kawashima. Kawashima is Keiko Hahn's nephew who came up with the idea for the film and directed it.
Hahn continues to spread awareness of the devastation of wars and advocate for unity among different races and nationalities.
