"Conscience and the Constitution," a documentary scheduled to air on PBS this week, is a must-watch for anyone interested in justice issues, World War II, the U.S. Constitution, or Asian American history. For the first time, a national audience will learn about a chapter of American history that has never before been written. In recent years, much has been said about the mass incarceration of 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry during World War II. What has only been whispered about within the Japanese American community is the role of resisters who, on constitutional grounds, refused to be drafted into the U.S. military from inside the confines of the camps. "Conscience and the Constitution" is the story of their courage and a lifetime of ostracism from their own community. Growing up in the 1950s, we often heard our parents refer to people as friends they knew "in camp." To our young minds, that meant something like Girl Scout camp. It was not until I was in high school that I began to understand what "camp" really was. Like most Japanese Americans, my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and oldest cousin all lived in these desolate rural "relocation centers," complete with barbed wire fences and U.S. Army sentries in guard towers. All through the years, the first week of December cast a pall over the holiday spirit for me. Even in the most professional settings, I would always hear at least one joke or snide comment about December 7th and the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. Although I was born after my parents were released, I was deeply affected by Executive Order 9066, signed in 1942 by President Franklin Roosevelt, which called for incarceration of Japanese Americans on the grounds that they might assist the Japanese war effort. I wrote my high school U.S. History paper on the camps. Long before books on the subject were written, I did my research by reading faded newspaper clips in basements and interviewing my parents' generation. Years later, the first television program I produced was about one of the three Japanese Americans who protested the incarceration, Gordon Hirabayashi. In the 1980s, I devoured every personal story, drama, and scholarly publication on the subject. I thought I understood every aspect of that chapter of history. I was wrong. I had heard about the resisters only in vague terms until a fellow Seattle journalist, Frank Abe, started asking me for help in raising funds for his documentary. That was about 10 years ago. "Conscience and the Constitution" tells the story of the resisters from their own point of view. What you will see is how one act of conscience has been buried for nearly 60 years—a story that could not have been told if any further delays had occurred. Many of the resisters have already passed away. The survivors are in their 80s, some in bad health. Were it not for Frank Abe and his determination, this story might never have been aired. Don't miss "Conscience and the Constitution." The program is presented by the Independent Television Service, which supports
and distributes television programs produced by independent producers.
November 27, 2000
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