Lurking unspoken under the surface of stories about the use of the atomic bomb in World War II lie questions about racial attitudes.  Racism is about diminishing the humanity of the “other” to enable “us” to exploit or dispose of other bodies and other lives.  A recent article in Narratively by Erica Hayasaki, entitled “Daughters of the Bomb: A story of Hiroshima, racism and human rights” explores this complex and fraught territory.

Hayasaki is herself of both Japanese and white American ancestry and encountered  Koko Konda, daughter of Reverend Tanimoto, who introduced John Hersey to the survivors.  She, like me, traveled to Hiroshima exploring her family legacy.  It is a fascinating read.