Winning the Peace combines two self-guided exhibitions to tell the story of the Japanese language interrogators and translators of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) during and after World War II.

The first, Prejudice and Patriotism: The Story of Japanese Americans in the Military Intelligence Service, 1941-1952, is on loan from the National Japanese American Historical Society in San Francisco. It presents the overarching history of the MIS and its Japanese American soldier-linguists, as well as that of the Japanese American community on the West Coast. Prejudice and Patriotism establishes the fundamental conflicts that all MIS soldiers were forced to confront. Should they defend the government that held their families in internment camps? Would they be able to face soldiers from their parents' country of birth in battle?



The second, Winning the Peace: The Story of Chicagoans in the Military Intelligence Service, 1941-1952, combines text, images, artifacts, and video for an up-close view of MIS activities in war and in the Occupation of Japan. The recollections and voices of Chicago-area MIS veterans drive the narrative, emphasizing the human side of war and its aftermath. This portion of the exhibition was made possible with grant assistance from the National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior.

Both parts of Winning the Peace will be on view at the Japanese American Service Committee from May 4 through June 30, 2010.

Below you will find web-viewable versions of the exhibit panels from "Winning the Peace". Simply click an image to view it at a larger size. When the image opens in a new window, click the image again to make it even larger. Close the window when you are finished to return to the main site.







"Winning the Peace" Exhibition Opening!

Friday, May 7, 2010
7:00pm at the JASC
Free Admission
The opening will have a ceremonial color-guard, presented by the Nisei Post No. 1183. A short address will follow by Lara Kina, DePaul University Associate Professor & Director Asian American Studies.

Click "Facebook MIS event" to view the full invitation and receive updates.

For more information, contact Karen Kanemoto via email or call 773.275.0097 ext 222



Click above to view video interviews with the MIS veterans featured in Winning the Peace.


This exhibit was made possible by grant assistance from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service; Japanese American Service Committee; Japanese Mutual Aid Society of Chicago,
Tom T. Arai Bequest; Chicago Nisei Post No. 1183, American Legion; Japanese American Citizens League, Chicago Chapter; and Chicago Japanese American Historical Society.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior

© 2010 Japanese American Service Committee Legacy Center, Chicago