Effects Around the World
Although there are some efforts in Japan and China to raise awareness of the massacre, more have been made by Americans. In Los Angeles, Daniel Kwan opened a photograph exhibit, "The Forgotten Holocaust," in 1995. Organizers had many pictures, some so gruesome, they had to be left out. It is ironic that these pictures were taken by Japanese soldiers as souvenirs.
Chinese-Americans, particularly those among the large Chinese community in Silicon Valley, are also attempting to educate the American public about the Nanking Massacre. Eugene Wei from San Jose, a member of an Alliance for the cause, said, "The cause is taking off like wildfire. The Chinese are really waking up." However, David Bolt, an American filmmaker, stresses the importance of non-Chinese people to inform the public about the event, so that the historical truths are not labeled as Chinese propaganda.
The six weeks of horror in Nanking are still inexplicable. Nobody can find a concrete reason for the occurrence of the atrocities. The massacre was not an organized debacle like the Nazi Holocaust. Some historians and Japanese veterans suggest that it was an outlet of frustration for the Japanese soldiers, or that it was an attempt by the soldiers to show their loyalty to the Emperor. Whatever the reasons are, the effects of the massacre have clearly been long lasting. Today, the few surviving victims feel guilty. They feel guilty that they survived the Holocaust of Nanking, and so many others perished.
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