Before analyzing the visual text, it is important to understand and to research the accompanying alphabetical text and how these texts coexist. The caption about the visual text appears as follows: "The Refugees: Hong Kong, 1995; At the detention center on the island of Tai A Cau, more than half of the 6,000 Vietnamese detainees are children". There are three key words/phrases in this synopsis that the reader must take notice of. 

Firstly, the word "refugee" is defined as "a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution" (MW). This definition alludes that the refugees, the Vietnamese people, were in danger or faced persecution; however, in 1995, the Vietnamese economy was quite good. Also in 1995, Vietnam became a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and it established diplomatic relations with the United States. Vietnam was thriving.

The positive economic growth of Vietnam at the time also calls in to question the next phrase from the blurb that caught my attention: Hong Kong/Vietnamese detainees. Why are 6,000 Vietnamese people being detained in Japan?  While my brief research could not answer why the Vietnamese were in Japan, I did find out why they were in a detention center on the island of Tai A Cau. Prior to the time that the visual text was captured, many of the Vietnamese people had been rioting violently in Hong Kong. The island was uninhabited and the detention center offered refugee to 6,000 Vietnamese people against the violence. Thirdly, over half of the 6,000 refugees were children. 

Now, with educated and well-informed eyes can the audience, and myself, begin to dissect the visual text. These are the facts: starting from foreground moving to background, there is barbed wire, then metal beams, then a metal-mesh fence, then people, finally, a hard surface that supports everything on top. 

The barbed wire is bountiful and freely engulfs the "cage-like" structure. The metal beams that make up the structure of the enclosure appear to be "I" beams, sturdy beams used to support weight. The beams also are supported from the outside of the closure; probably due to the nature of it being part of a "detention center". Then, we have the metal fence, finishing the enclosure. Next, we have bodies. This is the logical sequencing of an enclosure; however, I find the contrast between the cold metal enclosure and the warm bodies to have a grim connotation. The bodies appear to be living children. Along the inside perimeter of the fence, there are children standing with their backs toward the outside world watching as other children play.

Children: one of the most influential tools imaginable. As I mentioned earlier, there were a series of violent riots that occurred during the time that the visual text was captured. 6,000 Vietnamese refugees were taken into this facility, and over half of them were children. Children are defenseless against the raging masses and the Japanese government shielded them from that. The barbed wire around the detention center forms a literal bubble of security around these children. There are no adults present in the picture, so this leads the audience to believe that despite their parent's violent decisions, the children would be safe. As stated in the previous paragraph, the children along the inside perimeter of the fence have their backs to the outside world. They are safe. This is not how the photographer depicts his message. 

The photographer uses gray-scale to capture his message. Upon first glance, his message is that the Japanese have captured children and have forced them to be in a cage. Even the metal beams of the enclosure are braced from the outside, giving he illusion that the Japanese are building a wall to trap the children. The photographer also captures the children when many of them are secluded and motionless. This seclusion, coupled with the gray-scale, portrays the grimness of the time. 

When analyzing a visual text, it is vital to be educated and critical with all aspects of the piece. This visual text was paired with a brief blurb about the picture. Word choice is critical. The artist who captured the visual text also wrote the blurb; therefore, both are important. The research behind the words alludes to a more positive take on the photograph, while the photograph seems to be quite dreary. Both texts coexist to create a more powerful and meaningful experience for the audience. 

Unlike the photograph, the experience of the visual and alphabetical texts, much like real life, isn't just black and white. It requires multiple angles and understanding along with an artistic and open eye.

