JCCH Supports Hawai'i National History Day Students
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SPRING 2020 | VOL. 26, NO . 1 JCCH Supports Hawai‘i National History Day Students A documentary about music in the World War II internment camps was selected to represent Hawai‘i in the National History Day competition. The filmmakers (left to right): Marissa Kwon, Lily Lockwood, and Erin Nishi. PAGE 4 EXECUTIVE DIREctor’s MESSAGE MARCH 16, 2020 “ Aloha” is more than a word of greeting or farewell or a salutation. “Aloha” means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return. “Aloha” is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence. “Aloha” means to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable. – The LaW OF THE ALOHA SPIRIT, HAWai‘i REVISED STATUTES JCCH MISSION STATEMENT: Aloha has been on our minds as we face a virus Now more than ever we recognize the To be a vibrant resource, that has led to a global pandemic. We draw importance of finding new ways to carry out our strengthening our diverse inspiration from the stories that have been passed mission to be a vibrant resource, strengthening community by educating down to us about how, during challenging times, our diverse community by educating present present and future generations our community has pulled together, persevered, and future generations in the evolving Japanese in the evolving Japanese and — with the Aloha Spirit intact — survived. American experience in Hawai‘i. The JCCH American experience in As we face the present-day threat of the volunteers have begun meeting with staff Hawai‘i. We do this through Coronavirus (Covid-19), uppermost in our minds via conference call and using online tools to relevant programming, is the safety of our members, visitors, volunteers, collaborate. We are exploring offering select meaningful community and staff as we take actions to protect the public programs online and providing for books and films service and innovative health and safety of our larger community. We that connect historic and current issues. Look out partnerships that enhance have temporarily closed the public areas of our for updates! Please visit www.jcch.com. the understanding and Center through April 30, 2020 which, by the time More to look forward to: this year the JCCH celebration of our heritage, you read this, may have been further modified Sharing the Spirit of Aloha Annual Gala will be culture and love of the land. depending on recommendations from our state and virtual! Visit www.jcch.cbo.io to register for the To guide us in this work national health and government authorities. virtual event featuring an online program, silent we draw from the values This changing environment and our concern auction, and Legacy bid. We invite you, your family, found in our Japanese for everybody’s safety have inevitably led to and friends to first join us online on June 13, 2020 American traditions and cancellations and postponements to the JCCH at 5:30 p.m. (HST), and then at a future in-person the spirit of Aloha. spring programming. In this issue, however, we gathering that will be scheduled for a later date. have chosen to be optimistic and present you with Our work and programming is only made the robust schedule of summer programming we possible with the generosity and aloha from have been planning. In order to remain updated on you — which is even more important as we weather any program changes, we recommend you include closures and disruptions to programming and your email contact on your membership renewal events that normally provide for our continued notice, or contact our membership department operations. If you have not renewed your at 945-7633 ext. 22 or [email protected]. One of membership yet, please consider doing so. the benefits of membership is early bird program Finally, we extend our sincere hope that we registration via email invitation. Of course continue to care for each other so that we emerge everybody is always welcome to visit our website from this period with a renewed commitment www.jcch.com for the latest updates! to our community and deepened Aloha Spirit. We look forward to sharing Ryan Kawamoto’s Ganbarismassho¯! remarkable film, Voices Behind Barbed Wire: Stories of Hawai‘i, with our neighbor islands — Sincerely, including in Kona, Maui, and Kaua‘i. We will partner with Kaua‘i Soto Zen Temple for a film showing and update on the JCCH’s Wartime Evacuee Project. We are grateful for funding that the JCCH received from the State Foundation on JACCE S. MIKULANEC Culture and the Arts for these programs that help PRESIDENT AND us strengthen our connections across the state. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 2019 – 2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR OF THE BOARD LEIGHTON HARA KEN HAYASHIDA RoNALD HAYASHI SECRETARY MARK IBARA TylER TokIokA MEL INAMASU VICE CHAIR/TREASURER IN This ISSUE DARRYL NAKAMOTO JAsoN Ito WILLIAM KANEKO SPRING VICE CHAIR 春 2020 REID HOKAMA DoNNA KAWANO SCOTT KUIOKA VICE CHAIR DANIEL KAMITAKI JAIME KINOSHITA OLIVEIRA VICE CHAIR ART TANIGUCHI DARREN OTA Hawai‘i Representative DEIDRE TEGARDEN AT-LARGE DIRECTORS Maui Representative JODI NOZOE CHANG SCOTT YAGIHARA 2020 Day of Remembrance JON FUKAGAWA Kaua‘i Representative JCCH revives a day to honor 5 internee families 2019 – 2020 BOARD OF GOVERNORS DAVID ARAKAWA AkEMI KURokAWA DAVID AsANUMA ColbERT MAtsUmoto COUNCIlmEMBER BRENNON MORIokA CARol FUKUNAGA Event Rewind DEbbIE NAKAGAWA DoUGLAS Goto BLAIR ODO Mahalo to our generous donors SUSAN HARAmoto 6 DENNIS OGAWA and the whole community DEAN HIRATA CURT OTAGURO AkIO HosHINO T. RAymoND SEKIYA KATHRYN INKINEN GARREtt SERIKAWA WAYNE IsHIHARA JAY SUEmoRI WAYNE KAMITAKI DoN TAKAKI JCCH Annual Fund COUNCIlmEMBER ANN KobAYASHI RoNALD USHIJIMA Preserving and perpetuating 9 JANE KomEIJI SENAtoR GlENN WAKAI a legacy CHRIstINE KUbotA SUSAN YAMADA STAFF PRESIDENT AND DIRECtor OF PROGRAMS New Oral History EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AUDREY MURomoto JAccE MIKULANEC [email protected] Sho¯zo Takahashi: [email protected] (808) 945-7633 EXT. 28 11 (808) 945-7633 EXT. 24 Gratitute & Respect EDUCATION & ChIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER progrAM MANAGER JAMIE LEE DERRICK IWATA [email protected] [email protected] (808) 945-7633 EXT. 33 (808) 945-7633 EXT. 25 ACCOUNTING SPECIALIst GIFT shop MANAGER LEIANNE FUJIMURA KEN YOSHIDA In the Gift Shop [email protected] [email protected] (808) 945-7633 EXT. 29 (808) 945-7633 EXT. 32 New items are online! 14 DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION GIFT Shop & ALLYSON NAKAMOTO ProgrAms AssIstANT [email protected] LISA FURUKAWA (808) 945-7633 EXT. 47 [email protected] COLLECTIONS LIBRARIAN STAFF ASSOCIATES MARY CAMPANY JANE KURAHARA [email protected] BETSY YOUNG CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: (808) 945-7633 EXT. 34 (808) 945-7633 EXT. 42 Day of Remembrance: Ray Tabata DIRECTOR OF TOKIOKA HERITAGE ‘Ohana Festival: Tammy M. Takimoto COMMUNICATIONS & RESOURCE CENTER DEVELOPMENT (808) 945-7633 EXT. 42 MARLA MUSIck [email protected] GALLERY/GIFT SHOP (808) 945-7633 EXT. 27 (808) 945-7633 EXT. 43 DEVELopmENT CoordINAtor LARSEN MIHO [email protected] (808) 945-7633 EXT. 22 4 MUSIC TRIUMPHS OVER TRAGEDY Researchers of all ages continue to make their way to the JCCH’s Tokioka Heritage Resource Center, including Punahou School student, Erin Nishi. BY BETSY YOUNG, STAFF ASSOCIATE When Erin Nishi stopped by to do research, Japanese War Relocation Authority Camps.” After the National History Day she told us that she was an injured violinist They showed how music emerged out of the competition had concluded and she was who had temporarily turned her focus to resilience and strength of talented internees. able to play violin again, Erin extended her working with classmates Marissa Kwon and The Japanese American adult incarcerees research from the concentration camps Lily Lockwood on a History Day project rose to overcome camp hardships and served on the mainland to learn more about the around the national theme, “Triumph and as instructors for youth orchestra, band, and music in Hawai‘i’s Honouliuli Internment Tragedy in History.” choir. The documentary’s message is clear: Camp. During a recent visit to the JCCH, The high school students were inspired music was a therapeutic diversion from Erin performed for her class two songs on by Erin’s great-grandfather, who lost his the grim realities of camp life, helping violin once played in camp: the traditional four year old son to an infection while incarcerees of all ages maintain hope for the Japanese song, “Tokkuri no Wakare” and imprisoned during World War II at the Santa future. This is representative of many stories a song written and composed by a Hawai‘i Anita Racetrack in California. The family of people who triumphed over the tragedies internee, “Honouliuli no Uta” (The Song of was then transferred to Gila River, Arizona caused by the World War II incarceration of Honouliuli Internment Camp.) Concentration Camp, where Erin’s great- Japanese Americans. “In music or the arts, there are no grandfather tried to overcome his grief by After receiving top honors at Hawai‘i boundaries,” observed internee Sho¯zo playing his violin. History Day, the team brought their docu- Takahashi, whose violin class at Honouliuli Knowing this story, Erin and her mentary to compete at National History Day Internment Camp eventually came to classmates, under the guidance of faculty at University of Maryland, College Park. The include a camp guard, homesick for country advisor Mrs. Hermie Chaney, created a documentary was selected to be showcased music and his fiddle. History Day documentary entitled, “Triumph at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of JCCH celebrates Erin, Marissa, and Lily Over Tragedy: Classical Music in the African American History and Culture. It also for their extensive research and hard work received the 100th Infantry Battalion Legacy in producing an outstanding documentary.