Directed by Celine Parreñas Shimizu and traveling between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois, this thoughtful program focuses on two older Japanese American cousins who were taken away by the FBI following an executive order that forcibly imprisoned Japanese Americans after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Described as “multi-generational conversations,” the documentary not only gives voice to former internment prisoners Tadishi Robert Shimizu and Kiyo Fujiu but also includes conversations with their adult children and young adult grandchildren.
Vintage photographs show the camps, as well as the two principals in their younger years. Kiyo emotionally recounts being imprisoned in 1942 when her family was housed in stalls with iron cots. She remembers little vignettes of her time there, including feeling “rage I couldn’t express.” Tadishi (who uses his middle name, Robert) was held captive from 1942 to 1944 and recalls how frightening it was for his family.
Kiyo says her family relocated from San Francisco to Chicago upon their release and found comfort in a Baptist church that she and her daughter are seen visiting. Robert’s grandfather founded Soya Foods, a successful business that sold spices and other food products. Interspersed throughout the conversations between generations are captioned questions concerning beliefs, dreams, resentments, and other topics, though the questions or statements are not always directly addressed.
Kiyo’s grandson shares that his grandmother treats everyone with compassion, care, and grace. While Robert, as a youngster, was “made to feel ashamed” of his appearance, his grandson expresses a wish that he looked more Japanese. Robert’s daughter was denied membership in a sorority at UCLA because of her heritage, and Kiyo’s daughter felt out of place when the family moved to a less diverse suburb of Chicago.
Viewers looking for detailed information about the internment camps may need to seek additional resources. However, as a portrait of two survivors and the trauma and loss they experienced, this documentary serves as a valuable discussion starter on topics such as U.S. history, family bonds, racism, stereotypes, and overcoming life’s obstacles. The college and university price is $350. Recommended.