Gao Xiongfei and Li Liangjei are Chinese citizens who were victims of Japan’s system of forced labour during the Second World War. Both of them are actively seeking justice for the ways in which they were exploited and harmed during that distant conflict. Mr. Li is currently the President of the Chinese Slave Laborer Association, and he is using his position to advocate for himself and so many others whose claims are still not being acknowledged by the Japanese. Mr. Gao was a child during the war, whose parents were used as slave labourers, and he was grievously wounded during a bombing attack, where he and his mother both lost their arms. He has filed suit against the Japanese government, and remains committed to getting a settlement, not only for himself but in his parents’ memory.
Mr. Gao and Mr. Li spoke to participants on the Alpha Education Peace and Reconciliation Tour in July 2017, with the hope that their story carries a message of social justice to future generations. Translation was facilitated by Shelby Song, one of the tour participants.
In July 2017 Crestwood teacher Scott Masters took part in Alpha Education’s Peace and Reconciliation Tour. Seventeen educators, activists, lawyers, and documentarians toured China and Korea, learning about the Asian perspective on the Second World War, and exploring ways to raise awareness of this side of the war to a non-Asian audience. The tour was organized by Don Tow, as part of his ongoing efforts to stimulate social justice education and to improve Asian-American understanding and relationships.
Please note that this interview is in Chinese, with the English translation at the end of each segment.
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