Proof of Loyalty: Kazuo Yamane and the Nisei Soldiers of Hawaii

Gr 7 Up—This presentation begins with a quote that credits Franklin Delano Roosevelt as saying that no one should be denied U.S. citizenship because of ethnicity. While the Nisei, first-generation Japanese Americans, were not deprived of their citizenship, they were incarcerated because of their ethnicity during World War II, and their loyalty was definitely under suspicion. Meanwhile, young Nisei men in Hawaii were inducted into the U.S. military (Some of these soldiers were briefly held behind barbed wire at Camp McCoy, WI.). By focusing essentially on one young man, Kazuo Yamane, this documentary reveals just how honorable and dependable these young men were. The all-Nisei units bravely fought in the European Theater, experiencing very high casualty rates. Because of his language skills, Yamane became a translator, deciphering captured Japanese documents that were then turned over to the Pentagon. The story is told with extensive vintage footage and still photos. Narration is provided by Yamane, a historian, and an educator.