FITTED HAWAII

This really hits close to home (pun intended) and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the full length version of this documentary. I have a vague memory of Mom Dukes telling me that my Grandfather was actually thrown in one of the internment camps scattered across the island, but whether it was because I was too young and naive or just didn’t care at the time, it never really struck me as important. As I grew older and started on the path seeking knowledge of self, it re-sparked my interest to know the story behind this atrocious attack on us Japanese Americans; a peaceful, civilized, highly-intelligent and humble society. With the recent passing of my Grandmother and while browsing through archives of documents (we were looking for her birth certificate), I came across one interesting piece: a brochure (dated from the early 80s) which, upon reading, I found out was a census of sorts trying to locate those Japanese Americans who were gathered up and imprisoned in these “internment camps” prisons. From what I understand, the United States was attempting to reach out to those who were detained (and discriminated-against) in these camps to give them reparations. I actually plan to go digging in Bishop Museum’s archives to see what I can find regarding this historical travesty, and for those who are interested, the Hawai’i Japanese Cultural Center will be holding a pilgrimage of sorts out to Honouliuli sometime in February of 2011, where they will be screening a longer version of this documentary. At the moment of writing (and after speaking to Brian over at the Hawai’i Japanese Cultural Center), the full length documentary is currently in production and will be out sooner or later.

To think that this happened in the late 40s, early 50s – you would think the United Snakes of America would have learned from their wrong-doings and discriminating and stereo-typing of minorities. But as we all know, there is a similar form of discrimination and subliminal racism that still hovers at the surface, considering the attacks on Muslims in New York and their requests of building a mosque near Ground Zero. This is just an updated version of the same xenophobia that was practiced in 1943.