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The First Battle: The Battle for Equality in War-time Hawaii
COFFMAN, Tom (Writer, Producer & Director). The First Battle: The Battle for Equality in War-time Hawaii [Videorecording]. San Francisco; Distributed by the Center for Asian American Media, 2006. DVD (60 min.). Available for sale at the film’s website (http://www.thefirstbattle.com/purchasethedvd.html). Individual price $20.00, Institutional price $49.95.
The First Battle is a documentary that explores racism towards people of Japanese ancestry in Hawaii during World War II and how people of all races stood up against it. The Battle follows the formation and activities of the Council for Inter-racial Unity, a group formed in Honolulu whose purpose was to combat racism. The film begins pre-WWII, showing how tensions were mounting between Japan and the U.S. Many were concerned about the impending war and how Japanese Americans would be treated once it started. Several U.S. government officials, including President Roosevelt, accused Japanese Americans of being disloyal, simply because of their ancestry. Officers of the law, including FBI agent Robert Shivers and Honolulu police lieutenant John A. Burns (who would after the war go on to become governor of Hawaii), were ordered to monitor Japanese Americans and find out if they would be loyal to the U.S. if war broke out with Japan. These two men in particular are highlighted in the documentary because of their efforts in fighting for equality. Although the film covers a dark time in American history, it highlights the work of those who championed Japanese American rights. Other important groups highlighted include the “morale section” of Hawaii’s martial law government, the Japanese American Emergency Service Committee, and the formation of an unarmed, untrained, un-uniformed labor battalion. The film uses historical footage as well as historical reenactment to show key plot points.
Tom Coffman wrote, produced, and directed this documentary. He has six documentaries and five books to his credit on the topics of Hawaii and the Pacific, Japanese-Americans, and Korean-Americans. He has won several awards, including the Jury Award for the New York World Expo of Short Film in 1994, the Best Hawai’i Filmmaker award in the Hawai’i International Film Festival in 1994, and the University of Hawai’i Community Scholar in Residence in 2001.
The footage of WWII is poignant, illustrating a difficult time in our nation’s history. The interviews with members of the Council for Inter-racial Unity and Japanese Americans who lived through the war provide insightful accounts of life during that era. The film does an excellent job of demonstrating the plight that Japanese Americans faced during the war. It also balances the depressing subject of prejudice with the people who actively fought to overcome it.
The DVD only contains the documentary and chapter selections. There is an accompanying website, which has several useful features including the film’s script, extended video interviews, and lesson plans for high school teachers. The website’s address is http://www.thefirstbattle.com/index.html.
This film is recommended for libraries that have Japanese American, WWII, or Hawaiian collections. The First Battle is endorsed by Daniel K. Inouye (U.S. Senator), George R. Ariyoshi (former Governor of Hawaii), the Japanese American Citizens League, and the National Asian American Telecommunications Association.
The First Battle is a documentary that explores racism towards people of Japanese ancestry in Hawaii during World War II and how people of all races stood up against it. The Battle follows the formation and activities of the Council for Inter-racial Unity, a group formed in Honolulu whose purpose was to combat racism. The film begins pre-WWII, showing how tensions were mounting between Japan and the U.S. Many were concerned about the impending war and how Japanese Americans would be treated once it started. Several U.S. government officials, including President Roosevelt, accused Japanese Americans of being disloyal, simply because of their ancestry. Officers of the law, including FBI agent Robert Shivers and Honolulu police lieutenant John A. Burns (who would after the war go on to become governor of Hawaii), were ordered to monitor Japanese Americans and find out if they would be loyal to the U.S. if war broke out with Japan. These two men in particular are highlighted in the documentary because of their efforts in fighting for equality. Although the film covers a dark time in American history, it highlights the work of those who championed Japanese American rights. Other important groups highlighted include the “morale section” of Hawaii’s martial law government, the Japanese American Emergency Service Committee, and the formation of an unarmed, untrained, un-uniformed labor battalion. The film uses historical footage as well as historical reenactment to show key plot points.
Tom Coffman wrote, produced, and directed this documentary. He has six documentaries and five books to his credit on the topics of Hawaii and the Pacific, Japanese-Americans, and Korean-Americans. He has won several awards, including the Jury Award for the New York World Expo of Short Film in 1994, the Best Hawai’i Filmmaker award in the Hawai’i International Film Festival in 1994, and the University of Hawai’i Community Scholar in Residence in 2001.
The footage of WWII is poignant, illustrating a difficult time in our nation’s history. The interviews with members of the Council for Inter-racial Unity and Japanese Americans who lived through the war provide insightful accounts of life during that era. The film does an excellent job of demonstrating the plight that Japanese Americans faced during the war. It also balances the depressing subject of prejudice with the people who actively fought to overcome it.
The DVD only contains the documentary and chapter selections. There is an accompanying website, which has several useful features including the film’s script, extended video interviews, and lesson plans for high school teachers. The website’s address is http://www.thefirstbattle.com/index.html.
This film is recommended for libraries that have Japanese American, WWII, or Hawaiian collections. The First Battle is endorsed by Daniel K. Inouye (U.S. Senator), George R. Ariyoshi (former Governor of Hawaii), the Japanese American Citizens League, and the National Asian American Telecommunications Association.
Submitted by Mariko Kershaw, LIS Student, University of Hawaii at Manoa, May 2008
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