The Untold Story: Internment of Japanese Americans In Hawaii is the first full-length documentary to chronicle the internment experience of Japanese Americans in Hawai‘i.
Shortly after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawai‘i authorities arrested several hundred local Japanese on O‘ahu, Maui, Hawai‘i island, and Kaua‘i. Within 48 hours those arrested included: Buddhist priests, Japanese language school officials, newspaper editors, and business and community leaders. In total, over 2,000 men and women of Japanese ancestry were arrested, detained, and interned at 13 different confinement sites located in Hawai‘i. There was no evidence of espionage or sabotage and no charges were ever filed against them. This film chronicles their story through oral histories, documents, interviews, and reenactments.
The film was made possible through a lead grant from the Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program National Park Service and matching funds provided by the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i, Island Insurance Foundation, The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, and the Japanese American Citizens League - Honolulu Chapter.
“The Untold Story” 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 view of the U.S. Department of the Interior.