Many of the Japanese Americans from Hawai‘i who were arrested and detained during World War II did not speak publicly (or even privately, in many cases) about their experiences. The aim for the Hawai‘i Internee Directory is to bear witness to the over 2,200 people whose lives were forever changed by the events following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. It is up to us to remember these internees, especially when contemporary events parallel this history, and threats to national security jeopardize the civil rights of individuals.
This directory continues the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i's (JCCH) long-standing commitment to documenting Hawai‘i’s World War II confinement sites, researching internee stories, publishing internee memoirs, preserving the Honouliuli National Monument, and teaching students and the public about the incarceration of Japanese Americans in Hawai‘i.
For more details about the information on this site, including questions about licensing the images, please contact the Tokioka Heritage Resource Center by emailing Resource.Center@jcch.com or by calling (808) 945-7633 Ext. 42.
Acknowledgements
The JCCH is very grateful to the internees, families, and friends who have entrusted us with their stories, photos, and artifacts. Special thanks to JCCH volunteer Mr. Tatsumi Hayashi for his decades of research and documentation of these internees’ experiences. Our sincere appreciation to the many JCCH volunteers and staff who have assisted in this project, including Mary Campany, Sheila Chun, E. “Charlie” Fukada, Carole Hayashino, Derrick Iwata, Ryan Kawamoto, Marcia Kemble, Jane Kurahara, Audrey Muromoto, Allyson Nakamoto, Denise Park, and Betsy Young.
This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
This project was funded, in part, by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
This material received Federal financial assistance for the preservation and interpretation of U.S. confinement sites where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, the U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability or age in its federally funded assisted projects. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire further information, please write to:
Office of Equal Opportunity
National Park Service
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240