1,000 Red Stitches

During World War II, Robert Yano and his family were among the thousands of Japanese Americans forcibly interned on the West Coast.

When he enlisted, the women in the camp sewed one thousand stitches into a traditional Japanese belt for him, the kind warriors wore in battle for protection. Robert wore his belt under his American uniform, fighting for his country while honoring Japanese tradition.

As a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a unit made up entirely of Nisei--second-generation Japanese Americans born in the United States--Robert fought with remarkable resilience and courage. Known as the "Go for Broke" battalion, these solders were willing to risk everything to fight for America and prove their patriotism.

Illustrator Kathryn Otoshi's art is profoundly informed by her own father's experience in an incarceration camp.