Online Program: “Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight”

Chiyono Shoji Hamer’s resilience knows no bounds. At the tender age of nine, she endured the horrors of the atomic bomb dropped over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. Her daughter, Susan Woollen, recounts her remarkable journey in Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight, weaving a narrative that extends beyond personal survival to encompass broader themes of war’s devastation, the specter of nuclear weapons, and the migration of Japanese War Brides to the United States.  

Be sure to join us with Susan Woollen, Museum docent, LEAD training facilitator, and Second-Generation Speakers’ Bureau member, as she shares Chiyono’s story, delving into the depths of wartime suffering while painting vivid portraits of Japanese traditions, culture, and history – a profound exploration of resilience in the face of adversity. 

Free to the public. Reservations required.

Community Partners: AsiaConnect at Illinois State University; Consulate General of Japan in Chicago; Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at Illinois State University; Milner Library at Illinois State University