On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked by both naval and air forces belonging to the Japanese Empire. As a result of these attacks, 1,875 Hawai’i residents of Japanese ancestry were eventually detained in War Relocation Authority Camps and Department of Justice Internment Camps.
While the mass incarceration of the Japanese on the U.S. West Coast was widely documented, little is known about the Hawai‘i internees and their experience. Surprised at the lack of such information on these unjustly incarcerated Hawai‘i residents, the Resource Center at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i set out to collect documentation, first-hand accounts and artifacts from the internees to help history come alive for today’s community.
Do you know someone from Hawai‘i who was interned during World War II? Are you the son or daughter of a Hawai‘i internee?The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i is searching for people with whom to “talk story” about the experiences of Hawai‘i internees during World War II. This period of history is significant, but few stories and even fewer memorabilia, such as photos, objects, letters, poems and handicrafts, have been collected to tell the story in a compelling, meaningful manner.
The Cultural Center is interested in collecting and preserving these materials so present and future generations will be able to understand what the internees went through to see historical lessons that provide insights for present day life.
Please call the Resource Center at 945-7633 Ext. 42, or Resource.Center@jcch.com , and leave your name and phone number or address so that we can contact you. Mahalo!
Bibliography
All of these references are available for study at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i Resource Center, Room 102, open Wednesdays through Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
