Legacies - Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii

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Internment Camps continued from page 1wars but fighting for the same principles.and the combined legacy should, andI think will, go down in history aspowerful testament to the idea of beingAmerican and one of the cornerstonesof being kama‘āina. I think they all knewthe significance of what was at stake:(1) that in the United States, citizenshipis different from ethnicity and thatcultural pride and related cultural valuesare not inconsistent with butrather support the virtues thatgo with being an Americancitizen; and (2) that in multiculturalHawai‘i, havingrespect for one’s heritagewhilst having a shared senseof responsibility over civicsociety and Hawai‘i’s legacy isconsistent with and part of therichness of being kama‘āina,literally a child of the land.But by enduring this captivity,by their sons fightingfor America, and—mostimportantly—by remainingin this country to build and,more aptly, rebuild theirlives anew after the war, theyconfirmed— unsurprisinglybut still remarkably — their belief inthe idea of being American, their wishto be part of civic life in Hawai‘i, andtheir desire to make Hawai‘i nei andthe United States their home. Theymade Hawai‘i and the United States abetter place. Whilst there is not a medalfor the path that the internees took,finding and documenting each andevery internment camp in Hawai‘i is ourduty as Americans to serve as a propertribute to the internees. If the interneesallow us, this is their medal from agrateful community wanting the truth,the acknowledgment and the memoryfor us and our children. We honor thebattleground where the internees foughta different kind and very challengingbattle. They fought prejudice. Theyfought the arbitrary use of power. Theyfought for the rights of citizens andlawful contributing members of societyto have the protection and respect oftheir sovereign and of their fellow men.They fought for inclusion and dignity inone’s own home land.These internment sites in Hawai‘i are astark reminder of the sacrifice that a fewmade for many others and for a largerset of principles: loyalty, duty, and civicmindedness are not attributes tied to(left to right): JCCH Staff Associate Betsy Young, Wayne Rapozo, andJCCH President and Executive Director Carole Hayashino in Kaua‘i ona search for the Kalaheo Stockade.biology or ethnicity but to core commonprinciples that define a community andthe actual deeds, shared commitmentand common aspirations of membersof that community. Like their sons onthe battlefields of Europe, the interneesstood for the idea that Americancitizenship is based on principle; it isbased on adherence to a set of valuesand actions in support of these valuesin the course of civic society.In multi-cultural Hawai‘i, we all drawupon a broad range of cultures whereimmigrants built civic society aroundthe legacy of the Hawaiian kingdomand working with the native Hawaiiancommunity. This civic society is adelicate but beautiful balance wherethere is not a majority cultural groupand where respect and consensusare cornerstones of life. Our abilityto be kama‘āina and to be proud ofwho we are traces back to many things.And one of these defining things is thecollective contribution made by the442nd, 100th, MIS, and the internees.They made it possible to keep anduphold the duality of being kama‘āinaand being American citizens.Although I live in London now, I grewup on Kaua‘i. The Japanese communitywas very much a part of lifeon Kaua‘i and my life as well.Having had the pleasure ofworking with JCCH andthe Japanese community inHawai‘i, I have thought aboutthe internment camps and theirsignificance. In my childhood,there was faint discussion ofRyan Kawamoto, Kinetic Productionsthe issue but it was generallykept quiet. Telling the storyof internment camps in thecontinental U.S. and the greatattention given to the movieSchindler’s List has prompteda more sustained inquiry intoHawai‘i’s intern ment campsand their history.We owe a debt to the internees.We owe to them, to Hawai‘i andto America to go about tellingthe story of the internment camps in themost respectful way. Each person placedin an internment camp in Hawai‘i, as amatter of principle and conscious, foughtalongside the 442nd RCT, MIS and the100th Battalion. We know the interneesdid not ask for this. They did not askfor the burden. They did not ask to beheroes. As usual, those that are definingheroes are not seeking to be heroes: theyjust are who they are, just doing whatthey do, when faced with extraordinarycircumstances. So it is right and properthat we honor the prisoners detainedin Hawai‘i’s internment camps. AsAmericans, we owe them for helpingdefine citizenship and its privilegesbased on principle, allegiance, deedsand not ethnicity. Because of these fourbattle groups, we in Hawai‘i can be whowe are. That is about as pono as it gets.4
eventrewindThe Untold Story:Internment of JapaneseAmericans in Hawai‘iPremieres in HonoluluAfter years of researching and compilingthe stories of the Hawai‘i internmentexperience, the long-awaited full-lengthdocumentary The Untold Story:Internment of Japanese Americans inHawai‘i premiered in Honolulu to fivesold-out crowds.The first three screenings were part ofthe 2012 Fall Hawai‘i InternationalFilm Festival. The first two public(left to right): Jane Kurahara, executive producer, Ryan Kawamoto,film director, Betsy Young, executive producer, and Carole Hayashino,executive producer at the Hawai‘i International Film Festivalworld premiere of The Untold Story on October 14.screenings were held on October 14 and16 at the Dole Cannery Regal Theaters.On October 18, schools were invitedto a special screening at the Pearl CityCultural Center. A group from JCCHattended the school screening at theauditorium that was also filled to capacity.The positive feedbackfrom attendees and thebig demand for additionalscreenings prompted thecenter to hold an additionalHonolulu screening inNovember. After thatscreening quickly sold outto a capacity 490 people, anadditional screening, whichalso sold out, was added.While the story of the massinternment of JapaneseAmericans in California,Oregon and Washingtonhas been well documented, very littleis known about the Hawai‘i interneesand the confinement sites located inHawai‘i. This is the first full-lengthdocumentary to chronicle this untoldstory in Hawai‘i’s history.The 25-minute version of the filmwill be shown at the upcoming Dayof Remembrance event on Sunday,February 10 in the Manoa GrandBallroom from 1:00 pm–2:30 pm.There will a be another screening ofthe full-length version on Saturday,February 16 at 9:00 am at theConsolidated Ward 16 Theatres aswell as screenings on Maui, Kaua‘i,and Hawai‘i island. (see below formore information).For more information on any of thesescreenings, please call (808) 945-7633or visit www.jcch.com.Ryan Kawamoto, Kinetic ProductionsHonolulu ScreeningSaturday, February 16 • Consolidated Ward 16 Theatres • 9:00 a.m. (Doors open at 8:30 am)Ticket prices: $10 for JCCH members; $15 for non-members; $12 each for groups of 10 ormore • For tickets or more information, please call (808) 945-7633 or email info@jcch.com.Maui ScreeningSaturday, February 23 • Consolidated Kaahumanu 6 Theatres • 9:00 a.m. (Doors openat 8:30 am) • For ticket pricing or more information, please call (808) 945-7633 or emailinfo@jcch.com.Kaua‘i ScreeningSaturday, March 2 • The Historic Waimea Theatre • 10:00 a.m. • For ticket pricing or moreinformation, please call (808) 945-7633 or email info@jcch.com.Hawai‘i Island ScreeningsDates TBA • For more information, please call (808) 945-7633 or email info@jcch.com.Mahalo to the film’s sponsors: Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program National ParkService, Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i, Island Insurance Foundation, The Wallace AlexanderGerbode Foundation, and the Japanese American Citizens League—Honolulu Chapter.“This material is based upon work assisted by a grantfrom the U.S. Department of the Interior, NationalPark Service. Any opinions, findings, and conclusionsor recommendations expressed in this material arethose of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflectthe views of the U.S. Department of the Interior.”This material received Federal financial assistancefor the preservation and interpretation of U.S.confinement sites where Japanese Americans weredetained during World War II. Under Title VI of theCivil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the RehabilitationAct of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Actof 1975, as amended, the U.S. Department of theInterior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race,color, national origin, disability or age in its federallyfunded assisted projects. If you believe you havebeen discriminated against in any program, activity,or facility as described above, or if you desire furtherinformation, please write to:Office of Equal OpportunityNational Park Service1849 C Street, NWWashington, DC 202405
Page 1 and 2: LEGACIESHonoring our heritage. Embr
Page 3: Happy New Year to JCCH Friends and
Page 7 and 8: Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai
Page 9 and 10: Mahalo Senator InouyeBy Carole Haya
Page 11 and 12: Yukou no Wa:Circle of Friendship1st
Page 13 and 14: James A. & Joyce ShimokusuEdward S.
Page 15 and 16: IikebananspirationsIkebana 1Sogetsu

Legacies - Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii

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