Pearl Harbor

Author Jennifer Swanson
Illustrator Kelley McMorris
Originally Published © 2018 American Girl
ISBN 9781338148947
 

Island Paradise

When most people think of Hawaii, they imagine lush tropics, beaches, and palm trees. This is actually pretty accurate. But that’s only part of Hawaii’s beauty. The islands also have majestic mountains, crashing waterfalls, tropical rain forests, and ancient volcanoes. It boasts warm, sunny weather year-round, and is a great place to live and take a vacation.

The people of Hawaii are also warm and welcoming. They call their attitude the aloha spirit. The word aloha can mean many things: hello, goodbye, love, affection. But the aloha spirit is about showing respect and kindness to one another and respecting differences. It means treating others with care and compassion.

Hawaii is an archipelago, which means it’s a group of islands. It is spread across the Pacific Ocean halfway between the United States and Asia. There are 132 islands, but seven of them hold most of the population: Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and the Big Island. All of the islands are relatively close to each other, but they’re fairly isolated from the rest of the world. The nearest U.S. neighbor is California, over 2,300 miles away.

Due to Hawaii’s location in the Pacific Ocean, it became the perfect spot for a U.S. naval base. In 1900, Hawaii was a U.S. territory. This meant the U.S. military could build a naval station there. And in 1908, Oahu became the home of naval station Pearl Harbor. This allowed U.S. ships to refill on their way to Asia.

By 1940, although World War II was raging in Europe and Asia, the U.S. was not involved. Although they used Pearl Harbor to practice maneuvers and prepare, in case they were needed, the war felt very far away from them. So they were surprised when the war came to Pearl Harbor instead.

 

Nanea’s Story

Rose Momi has been Nanea Mitchell’s next-door neighbor for so long that she’s considered part of Nanea’s ‘ohana. Nanea calls her Auntie Rose, and so do Nanea’s best friends, Lily and Donna. Auntie Rose makes beautiful lei, which she sells to tourists on the pier. Today, Auntie Rose is giving Donna a lesson in making lei, and Lily and Nanea are sitting in the lesson.

Auntie Rose hands each girl a basket of flowers, a needle, and crochet thread. She guides the girls through how to slide their needle through the eye of the bloom. While they work, Auntie Rose tells them stories of what it was like to grow up on Oahu when she was a girl, and how she learned to make lei from her tutu, or grandmother.

Donna says one of her favorite things about Hawaii is how people take time to talk. Nanea agrees. They’ve all grown up talking story. Auntie Rose explains that their ancestors didn’t write down their stories. Instead, they told them to one another. Talking story helps keep their past alive, and gives them time to really get to know one another. It’s the way of aloha.

Donna likes it. She says when she’s Auntie Rose’s age, she’s going to talk story to her children and grandchildren about living in Honolulu. But maybe she’ll leave out how badly she makes lei.

Auntie Rose chuckles. There’s a lot of aloha in Donna’s lei.

 

The Melting Pot

Hawaii is one of the most diverse populations in the world. Over the years, people from many different countries have settled on the islands, bringing their own cultural and ethnic traditions.

The first to settle on the islands were Polynesians. They came from various islands scattered throughout the Pacific Ocean, including from New Zealand and Easter Island. It’s believed the first Polynesians came from the Marquesas Islands over 2,300 miles away. They came in large canoes between 300 and 600 CE. They brought livestock, food, clothing, and plants. They landed on the Big Island and built homes and temples. As the population grew, they spread out to six other islands nearby.

The Polynesians lived simply. They fished for food, planted small crops, and relied on the land to produce what they needed. Family—‘ohana—was important because everyone helped each other out. ‘Ohana included more than just blood relatives. The whole community was considered a person’s ‘ohana. The close connections helped people survive, and it shaped the way they treated others, eventually becoming the way of aloha. Today, aloha spirit and ‘ohana are a core part of Hawaiian culture.

In 1778, everything on Hawaii changed when English explorer Captain James Cook “discovered” Kauai. His “discovery” made the whole world aware of Hawaii. More and more people started to travel to come see the islands.

By the early 1800s, American businessmen discovered the rich soil and warm climate of Hawaii was perfect for growing crops such as sugarcane, pineapple, and coffee. People from the U.S. moved to Hawaii to build large plantations. Over the next sixty years, more than four hundred thousand immigrants came to work on the Hawaiian plantations, from countries like China, Japan, and Portugal.

Plantation work was challenging, especially for the children who helped. During the hottest time of day, they’d be carrying heavy cans of water and digging endless rows for sugarcane planting. Workers started at 4 AM and worked twelve hour days, six days a week.

Not everybody who came to Hawaii worked on plantations. Others opened shops and businesses. Some became teachers or journalists. They built homes, had families, and joined communities. Their dress, food, and traditions became part of island culture. In fact, the ukulele, which is associated with Hawaii, actually originated in Portugal! Hawaiian King Kalakaua requested the ukulele music be played at royal gatherings in the 1880s, and shortly afterwards, it became a common instrument used in music for the hula dance.

As more people moved to Hawaii, the ethnic mix on the islands changed. In 1853, Native Hawaiians (those with traces to the original Polynesian settlers), made up about 97% of the population. By 1923, that number was 16%. By 1940, over ten different ethnic groups were officially recognized, including Native Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Caucasian, Korean, African American, Portuguese, Puerto Rican, and Samoan. Because of such diversity, many people married others whose ethnic background was different from their own, meaning their children were of mixed race. So, being Hawaiian meant something different for everyone. But regardless, if someone could trace their lineage back to the early Polynesian settlers, they were considered Hawaiian.

Although the ethnicities, culture, and languages have changed over time, the spirit of aloha has remained strong. Respecting differences and showing kindness continued to be key to being Hawaiian.

 

Nanea’s Story

Nanea welcomes Lily and Donna into her home for Thanksgiving dinner by calling out “Komo mai.” Lily is Nanea’s oldest friend, and they are part of the same ‘ohana. Nanea calls Lily’s parents Uncle Fudge and Auntie Betty, and Lily calls Nanea’s parents Uncle and Auntie as well.

This is one of Nanea’s favorite things about living in Hawaii. The islands are like a jigsaw puzzle where people of all different shapes and sizes fit together. Auntie Betty and Uncle Fudge are from Japan. Mr. Cruz, their mailman, is from Portugal. And Mrs. Lin, who has a tiny crack seed shop that sells delicious dried fruits, is from China. And of course, there are people from the mainland like Nanea’s Papa and Donna’s family.

Donna moved from San Francisco to Hawaii three years ago so her father could work in the Pearl Harbor shipyard, like Papa. Their friendship started when Donna walked right up to Lily and Nanea on the first day of first grade, introduced herself, and offered them bubble gum. She still chews a lot of bubble gum.

Donna sniffs the air, and asks if she smells guava bread. Lily and Nanea laugh. When Donna first came to Hawaii, she was nervous about trying new foods. But now, she loves sweet rice mochi, Portuguese sausages, fresh ahi tuna, and Mom’s guava bread.

Grinning, Nanea replies that Mom made two loaves of guava bread this morning.

 

Celebrations and Negotiations

Because people from all over the world immigrated to Hawaii, the islands were home to a wide variety of cultural celebrations. People of all ethnicities celebrated Chinese New Year, Hinamatsuri, and attended luaus. A luau is a traditional Hawaiian celebration which marks a special occasion such as a first birthday, wedding, or graduation. People would eat traditional Hawaiian dishes such as poi, pork made in an imu, and fresh seafood. There was traditional Hawaiian music and hula dancing.

The respect and acceptance of different cultures was part of the spirit of aloha. In fact, Lei Day was created in 1927. A lei is a handmade garland of flowers, leaves, shells, or feathers, and is the symbol of aloha. Islanders took care in gathering materials and weaving each lei piece by piece. They believed the mana, or spirit, or the person who created it is woven into the lei. And when a lei was given to someone else, the creator was giving a piece of themself.

Despite the aloha spirit on the islands, WWII was still being fought on the other side of the world. The English and French were in a fierce battle against Germany, Italy, and Japan. The U.S. government did not want to enter the war, but they were also not getting along with the Japanese government.

Japan was a small, but mighty country. Its population and economy was growing. In 1937, Japan invaded China and declared war. The U.S. didn’t want to go to war with Japan, but they wanted to help China. So in 1940, the U.S. decided they would stop buying goods that Japan was selling, like gasoline, oil, and steel. This made the Japanese government very angry. The U.S. and Japan tried to negotiate, but since Japan was still trying to take land from China, the U.S. continued to refuse Japanese goods.

Their relationship grew more tense, and the U.S. Navy sent a large fleet of ships to Pearl Harbor from Southern California. This gave the navy a better position to defend the West Coast of the U.S. if needed. Japan saw these economic and military moves as a threat, and Japan’s new army minister, General Hideki Tojo wanted to take action against the U.S. What would that action be? Were the two countries headed for war?

 

Nanea’s Story

After Thanksgiving dinner, Lily, Donna, and Nanea take turns washing, rinsing, and drying the dishes. They don’t mind this chore; they’re laughing and telling jokes. Nanea can hear the adults talking in the living room until their voices go quiet. Nanea tiptoes across the kitchen and leans against the doorway.

Donna’s dad is saying that negotiations with the Japanese aren’t going well. Mom insists they have to go well. If they don’t cooperate, it’d be madness. Tutu Kane, Nanea’s grandfather, agrees.

Lily’s father says he’s worried, but Lily’s mother snaps back that everything will be fine. Donna’s dad responds that if negotiations continue to do poorly, he’s not sure if they’ll be able to stay out of the war. Mom, however, is confident that the diplomats will work things out. The U.S. doesn’t want to fight Japan, and Japan doesn’t want to go to war with the U.S.

Nanea hurries back to the sink. She asks Lily and Donna if they heard what the adults were discussing. Donna says she doesn’t listen to any of the talk about war. Lily is curious, though. Nanea wonders if she should tell her friends that Uncle Fudge is worried. But, grown-ups worry all the time about stuff that doesn’t happen.

Eventually, she responds that it’s nothing. Everything will be fine. And she drains the water from the sink.

 

A Daring Plan

The time had come for action. General Tojo worked with Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto to plan an attack against the United States. And the target was Hawaii. It was the closest territory to Japan, and Honolulu was home to Pearl harbor as well as a U.S. airbase, Hickam Field. The plan was to destroy the battleships, aircraft carriers, and planes at Pearl Harbor. It’d take weeks for the U.S. to send ships from California to fight back.

The Japanese needed a spy to help them carry out the attack. Takeo Yoshikawa was one of the Japanese spies in Hawaii. Yoshikawa climbed the slopes of a mountain where he could see Pearl Harbor and the nearby airfields. He memorized every ship and plane’s name, number, and location. He sent the information back to Admiral Yamamoto via coded messages.

With all of this information, Yamamoto knew he had everything he needed to complete the attack. They’d attack on a Sunday, since there were fewer sailors on duty that day. What he didn’t account for was Pearl Harbor’s usage of new technology called radar, or radio detecting and ranging.

At the time, radar was used to detect objects in the air or water, and it could tell how far away the object was and in what direction it was moving. However, it couldn’t tell what an object was. In addition, radar is only an effective warning system if someone is watching it for blips to appear and disappear. But in 1941, they didn’t man the radar all day and night. They only turned it on and watched it for three hours a day, from 4 AM to 7 AM.

By chance, on December 7, 1941, the two soldiers at the outpost station were late in shutting it down. At 7:02am, Private George Elliott noticed a huge blip about 130 miles offshore. He told Private Joe Lockard. The blip was so large they thought it was a radar malfunction. They called their superior, who told them to ignore it. Despite the orders, Private Elliott kept the radar on longer. He tracked the blip until it reached twenty-two miles offshore before disappearing behind a mountain. At 7:39am, Elliott and Lockard shut down the radar station.

The blip was actually a massive fleet of Japanese fighter planes. And they were heading straight for Pearl Harbor.

 

Nanea’s Story

Nanea wakes up early on Sunday morning so she can perfect the surprise breakfast. She planned for cold cereal, fresh papaya, and a batch of Auntie Rose’s homemade malasadas. The sweet Portuguese doughnuts are puffy and warm.

Nanea goes into the garden to gather some flowers. The smell of the yellow blossoms from the ginger plants from Mrs. Lin’s garden wafts over to Nanea’s nose. Nanea snips a handful of ginger blooms—Mrs. Lin won’t mind.

Suddenly, there’s a loud rumbling sound. What’s making that racket? Nanea looks up, and sees the sky dotted with planes. This is nothing new because planes fly from Hickam Field overhead all the time.

But something seems different today. Why are they out so early on a Sunday, flying so low? As a plane dips down lower, Nanea sees a round red sun on its tail. Those aren’t American planes. What’s going on?

 

Surprise Attack!

On Sunday, December 7, 1941, the Honolulu sky was blue and clear. Islanders were sleeping late, attending church services, or relaxing with their families. Then suddenly, without warning, Japanese planes appeared, and bombs began to fall.

Dorinda Makanaõnalani Nicholson was six years old at the time. She was sitting down to breakfast with her parents and baby brother, Ishmael, when they heard a loud explosion overhead. Dorinda and her parents raced outside to see the sky filled with planes. They were dark green with large orange-red disks: Japanese fighter planes.

They were flying very low, just above the rooftops. Dorinda could feel the hot exhaust from the plane’s engines. The roar of the engines muffled the sound of the bullets that struck the house. The kitchen caught fire. Her parents grabbed her and Ishmael and hustled them to the car.

As they drove away from Pearl Harbor, they passed military vehicles and men rushing towards the base. Finally, at the far end of the harbor, Dorinda’s father stopped the car.

Dorinda never forgot the enormous battleship upside down in the water. Other ships were burning uncontrollably. Thick black smoke rose into the air, and the water was a fireball as oil leaked from the ships and burned.

The attack happened just before 8am, by 183 Japanese planes. They bombed the unattended U.S. fighter planes that sat on the airfields. They dropped bombs on the ships docked on Battleship Row. The first wave of attack damaged every single battleship. The USS West Virginia sank and the USS Oklahoma exploded and rolled over, trapping hundreds of men inside. The USS Arizona took a direct hit to its ammunition compartment, which then exploded, breaking the ship in two and sinking in less than fifteen minutes. More than 1,100 sailors were killed on the USS Arizona.

By the time the attack was over, just before 10am, more than twenty-one U.S. Navy ships and over 300 planes had been damaged or destroyed. The surprise attack killed 2,335 military personnel and wounded 1,143.

More than sixty civilians were killed. The attack was felt across the island. Even people far away from Pearl Harbor heard the sounds of gunfire and had bombs dropped on their farms. Children huddled together with their families, terrified and wondering what was happening. They heard the planes zooming overhead, and cringed when explosions rippled through the air and fireballs surged into the sky. In less than two hours, the lives of all Hawaiians had changed.

 

Nanea’s Story

Nanea is frozen as one loud boom after another shatters the quiet morning. Thick columns of oily black punch bruises in the blue sky.

Suddenly, David, Nanea’s brother, flies out of the house and pulls Nanea inside. David says he has no idea what’s happening. Mom is on the sofa, and she pulls her children close. Papa turns on the radio. The announcer interrupts the program to call all army, navy, and marine corps personnel to duty.

For the next fifteen minutes, the announcer repeats his message. Everyone stays silent while listening to the radio and the noises from outside. Police officers and firefighters are ordered to report next. But the announcer never explains what’s going on.

Papa stands up. He’s going to go to the shipyard. Mom protests; Papa isn’t military. Papa is a welder at the Pearl Harbor shipyard. He figures they’ll need civilian workers, too.

Nanea looks at the clock: 8:35. This is when they’re supposed to be sitting down for her special surprise breakfast. But instead, she trembles as if she’s sitting on an icebox.

Papa has been gone five minutes when the announcer shouts over the radio, “This is no maneuver. This is the real McCoy. Enemy airplanes have attacked.”

 

An Island on Fire

As the sounds of the Japanese planes faded, more loud explosions filled the air. Pearl Harbor was on fire! Ships laid submerged in the water. Oil seeping from the engines pooled on the water and caught fire. Huge clouds of smoke filled the sky.

Thousands of sailors trapped in the wreckage had to choose between sinking with their ship and jumping into the flame-filled waters. Those who jumped were immediately burned by the oil. The sailors struggled to breathe and stay afloat. Those who stayed on the ships pounded against the metal walls of their ship, hoping for rescue. No one knew if the attack was over, or if there were more planes on their way.

Military personnel jumped into small boats to try to pull survivors to safety. Civilians tried to help, too. A team led by Julio DeCastro, a Honolulu native, worked for twenty-five hours to cut through a compartment on the USS Oklahoma to rescue men who were trapped. All thirty-two sailors in that room made it out alive. But many of the other sailors trapped on the ship did not survive.

Some of the injured were transported to the hospital on base, while others were sent to the USS Solace, a fully equipped medical ship that miraculously did not suffer any damage. Ambulances wailed as they rushed people to the hospital. Doctors, nurses, and medics worked furiously, treating broken bones, bullet wounds, cuts, and burns. There were so many patients that they didn’t all fit in the base hospital. Some patients laid out on the lawns outside the hospital. Dining halls and barracks were converted into temporary hospital space.

Five-year-old Jean Lawson was living with her parents and grandmother at Schofield Barracks. Her father was stationed at Pearl Harbor. When the attack happened, she could hear the loud clacking of the empty casings hitting their roof like hail. While her father went to his office, Jean, her mother, and grandmother were herded into a room with other children and mothers. Later that night, Jean, her mother, and grandmother were evacuated to a schoolhouse in the hills for safety. They eventually left Hawaii.

Within hours of the attack, Governor J.B. Poindexter declared a state of emergency. Civilians were ordered to stay in their homes and off roads. Soldiers patrolled the city, keeping the streets clear for rescue vehicles. Phone lines were kept clear for military or emergency calls. Distressed families couldn’t call loved ones to inquire about their safety.

Desperate for information, Hawaiians stayed glued to their radios. There were no televisions or news stations, and no internet. Radio was their only source of immediate news. But at 11:41am, the radio stations suddenly went off the air. Many kept their radios on, listening to the static and waiting for news. Others turned on the police band. Rumors spread quickly. Some said the water supply was poisoned, or that Honolulu was on fire, or that Japanese soldiers were hiding in the hills and fields around Pearl Harbor. None of the claims were true, but without connection to real news, people assumed the worst. They waited in their homes, wondering what was going to happen next.

 

Nanea’s Story

Nanea hears fire truck sirens in the distance, roaring louder and louder. Still shivering, she scoots closer to Mom. She can’t stop thinking about what she saw in the backyard, the thick black plumes of smoke rising into the sky.

Mary Lou, Nanea’s sister, says the radio announcer told them to fill their bathtubs with water. Buckets, too, just in case the Japanese cut off their water. Nanea is frozen, afraid to miss another word from the radio announcer. His voice is smooth, as if he’s talking about the price of pineapple. But yet, his words are telling everyone to stay indoors in the event of an air raid.

Suddenly, there’s rapping at the front door. It’s Auntie Rose. She asks if everyone is okay. Mom gets up and pulls her inside, while answering, “Yes.” Auntie Rose says there’s a few bullet holes in her kitchen walls, but she’s all right. Nanea shivers harder. Mom leaves to gather up some blankets to cover the windows. Then, the radio announcer says that there’ll be a blackout that night.

Suddenly, a crackling static fills the room. Mary Lou confirms the radio went off the air. She flips the radio back and forth to try to get to a different channel, but they’re all gone. Nanea is so afraid she starts to cry.

 

Under Military Control

As the day continued, it became difficult to tell what was really happening. The fear of the unknown was overwhelming. No one knew if the attacks were over or not. Or if the Japanese would invade the island.

At 3:30 PM, the radios came back online with the announcement that Hawaii was under martial law. Then, they went off the air again so the Japanese couldn’t use the radio signals to find the islands to return for another attack. Martial law meant that the military now controlled everything. The military government could put new laws in place that every person had to obey. Effective immediately, nobody could be outside between 6:30 PM to 6am. Anybody outside had to have a military pass. If somebody was outside without a pass, they could be fined or arrested.

Every night, there’d be blackouts. Windows had to be closed and covered with dark fabric or paper. Streetlights and exterior lights on buildings and businesses had to be off. Cars on the roads had to shield their headlights. This was to ensure it was completely dark at night, in case enemy planes returned. Block wardens patrolled neighborhoods to ensure it was absolutely dark.

Nightly blackouts were difficult and scary. Many islanders were used to cool nightly breezes, and now had to live in a stuffy home with all the windows closed and covered. Many didn’t have electric fans. Things like eating, bathing, and talking with family were unsettling in the dark. It was a scary and uncomfortable situation that went on night after night.

On December 8, 1941, U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt formally declared war on Japan. The U.S. was officially involved in WWII. Life changed for all Americans, and especially for those in Hawaii. School was immediately canceled, and some school buildings were turned into military hospitals. This break wasn’t like a holiday vacation. Although Christmas was near, war loomed over the holiday. The ship that was bringing Christmas trees from the mainland turned around after the attack. Mandatory blackouts meant shops and homes couldn’t put up holiday lights.

The military told businesses when they could open and close. Movie theaters only had two showtimes: noon and 2 PM. Restaurants stopped serving at 4 PM. And more and more military personnel came to Hawaii, resulting in long lines at restaurants, shops, and public transit. Everybody had to plan extra time for normal, everyday activities.

Everybody had to locate public bomb shelters in case of another attack or air raid drill. Sirens would wail to simulate another attack, and everybody ran for shelter. Some to a bomb shelter, others to a bunker. Every civilian had a bunker in their yard, for digging a shelter in the ground was another martial law.

All communication was censored, meaning it was reviewed and sometimes changed. The military took over newspapers, magazines, and radio broadcasts to ensure only approved information was shared. They controlled the telephone company and monitored phone calls. The military was afraid people would accidentally share information with Japan to help them plan another attack. Nobody was allowed to talk about weather, construction, or repairs. Mail was censored, too; every letter going in or out of Hawaii was opened and read.

Everyone over the age of six had to be fingerprinted and carry an identification card. The military ordered citizens to carry a gas mask at all times. The gas masks were large and uncomfortable, and children even had to take them to school. The schools would have drills to see how fast students could put them on.

Military families considered “non-essential,” such as wives and children, were sent to the U.S. mainland. Families and friends were separated without any idea of how long they’d be apart. Nearly 30,000 women and children left the island.

Martial law was put in place to make the islands safer. But the changes were difficult, and served as a constant reminder that Hawaii was an active war zone. The islanders who lived there always kept their eyes on the sky, fearful of more attacks.

 

Nanea’s Story

Nanea’s curled on the sofa reading when Mom comes in and announces it’s time to get ready for the blackout. She and Mary Lou pull the blankets down over the windows. Nanea goes around the house turning the lights off. The house grows gloomier and gloomier.

When the house is dark, Nanea’s always left with her sad feelings. This’ll be the fifth pitch-black night. The fifth night of staying inside the stuffy, dark house instead of roller skating or playing outside.

It’s also the fifth night without Papa. It’s seemed like years since she sat on the porch with him, listening to the crickets and geckos. They’d sit under the twinkling stars, talking about their dreams, planning fishing trips, and telling jokes. Now, the sky is sharp and lonely.

 

Americans of Japanese Ancestry

Martial law was declared to keep the islands safe and establish control, but also to keep track of the large population of Americans of Japanese Ancestry, or AJAs. Anyone of Japanese descent was treated with suspicion because they worried the AJAs would be more loyal to Japan than to America.

The government took immediate steps to prevent Americans of Japanese Ancestry from communicating with Japan. The first few days after the attack, more than four hundred AJAs were arrested, even though many of them were legal citizens. They were jailed because they were of Japanese descent, not because they did anything wrong. Some were released after a few weeks, while others were held for four years, until the war ended. Those who stayed in custody were sent to internment camps. Any islanders with Japanese heritage worried the government would show up on their doorstep and take them or their parents away.

Internment of Americans of Japanese Ancestry wasn’t limited to Hawaii. Nearly 120,000 AJAs on the mainland were also forced into internment camps. This was a violation of their civil rights, but the U.S. government ignored the rights of AJAs, believing it was necessary to keep the country safe.

In Hawaii, it wasn’t practical to put all Americans of Japanese Ancestry into internment camps. Almost one-third of the population, more than 158,000 people, had Japanese heritage. And the military didn’t have the manpower or money to transfer them to the mainland. In addition, people with Japanese ancestry ran shops and businesses, worked on plantations, and fished. Their skills were necessary to keep the economy going. Instead, the government chose certain members of the Japanese communities, such as religious leaders, business owners, teachers, and editors of newspapers, and sent them to internment camps.

Even Americans of Japanese Ancestry who weren’t sent to internment camps faced discrimination. They had earlier curfews and more travel restrictions. They had problems being served in restaurants or gas stations. They weren’t allowed to live close to Pearl Harbor. And if they objected to any rules, they were sent to internment camps. To prevent suspicion, many AJAs gave up their Japanese customs, such as practicing judo or attending Japanese language school. They didn’t wear traditional Japanese clothes or read books in Japanese.

Despite the racism they experienced, many Japanese men were eager to defend the U.S. They were patriotic and loyal, and wanted to join the military. When the war began, Japanese American men flocked to recruitment centers to enlist, but they were turned away. The U.S. government classified them as “enemy aliens” and refused to allow them to serve. In 1943, amidst a shortage of soldiers, the U.S. lifted their ban against Americans of Japanese Ancestry. President Franklin D. Roosevelt supported the end of the ban, saying, “Americanism is a matter of the mind and heart; Americanism is not, and never was, a matter of race or ancestry.”

The government asked for 1,500 new volunteers in Hawaii, and more than 9,500 Japanese Americans showed up. The 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat team was an all Japanese American unit made up mostly of men from Hawaii. The unit fought some of the fiercest battles in the war, facing horrible conditions. These brave men risked their lives for a country that mistrusted and mistreated them.

 

Nanea’s Story

When Donna and Nanea get to Lily’s house, she’s curled up on the sofa crying. Four days ago, the FBI showed up and took away Lily’s father. Nanea was there. She watched two men in dark suits lead Uncle Fudge to a car parked at the curb. They looked like the mobsters from the movies. Despite Lily’s pleading, the men took her father away.

Now, Lily’s eyes are puffy and red. When Donna asks where Lily’s radio is, Lily answers that the police took it away. Nanea wonders if the Mitchell’s will have to give up their radio, too. Lily shakes her head. Only the Japanese need to give up their radio. Nanea protests that it’s not fair—Lily’s family are loyal Americans.

Lily tells them that the other day, her brother came out of work, and saw soap on his car windshield. It read, “Go home, Jap.” Nanea gasps. Donna says she’d like to find the person who did that and punch them.

Lily laughs dryly. Donna may have to punch a lot of people. It’s not easy to be Japanese right now. Nanea realizes this war is wrecking everything.

 

Kokua

When Governor Poindexter declared a state of emergency, he asked the Hawaiians to help out in any way they could. Islanders, including children, responded immediately by volunteering. Their willingness to help was rooted in kokua, meaning “assistance” or “a good deed.” Helping others without expectations is part of the culture of Hawaii.

The day after the attack, children from church groups, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and the Junior Red Cross showed up to work. They went to hospitals, first-aid stations, evacuation centers, canteens and offices. They delivered supplies and ran errands. They cooked, served food, and cleaned.

As the war continued, so did the volunteers. Older children would look after younger children while mothers volunteered for the war effort. Kids made cards and cookies for wounded soldiers. They knitted socks and sweaters for military members around the world. Children of all ages helped at the United Service Organizations, or USO. The USO provided entertainment and relaxation to those serving in the armed forces. Civilians put on shows, dances, and dinners to help boost morale.

Even Japanese American college students who were refused enrollment in the army still wanted to help with the war effort. They formed the Varsity Victory Volunteers. They helped rebuild the Schofield Barracks, dug ditches, built roads, and worked in the quarries. Because so many men head off to war, there was a desperate need for people to perform demanding physical tasks.

Volunteers, mostly made up of children, organized drives to collect materials for blood drives. Regardless of how they helped, many young people worked long hours, continuing to volunteer even after school went back in session. Their dedication and hard work stemmed from their sense of aloha and deeply held belief in kokua. Their experiences changed their carefree island way of life forever.

 

Nanea’s Story

As Nanea, Donna, and Lily walk over to Auntie Rose’s yard, they see she has dye out. Auntie Rose explains that since there’s no more tourists, the lei sellers don’t have customers. But Uncle Sam has decided to ask them all to make camouflage netting. They’re going to use them to cover buildings, equipment, and soldiers. This way enemy planes can’t see them from the air.

Nanea asks if they can help, and Auntie Rose hands each of them a stout stirring stick and shows them what to do. Nanea stands in front of a tub filled with olive-green water. She begins to stir the murky liquid in a figure-eight pattern. Donna stirs brown, and Lily black. They stir and stir and stir.

Auntie Rose carefully fishes out the wet fabric pieces and hangs them on shrubs around her yard to dry. Then, she begins to tear lengths of fabric into strips, and then into smaller bits. She’ll use those to weave into netting. Lily picks up a strip of fabric, saying it’s easier than stirring.

Nanea tears the pieces as fast as she can. She accidentally rips one piece too small. When she goes to throw it away, Auntie Rose stops her, saying there is no piece too small because the good nets are made with lots of different fabric scraps.

Nanea’s heart flutters. No piece is too small. That means no helper is too small.

 

Epilogue

For months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the citizens of Hawaii lived in fear of another attack. But in June 1942, American forces defeated the Japanese at Midway Island. This was not the end of the war, but it was an important victory. Hawaii was no longer in constant danger of additional Japanese attacks because Japanese ships were no longer so close by. Worries of war and martial law still existed, but Hawaii felt safer.

World War II ended in 1945. Hawaiians were eager to return to normal life, but that wasn’t easy to do. What the islanders had seen, heard, and felt was unforgettable. More than four thousand Americans of Japanese Ancestry had been held in internment camps on the islands. They returned home, but continued to carry the traumas of prison with them.

Today, the USS Arizona still rests at the bottom of the harbor. Now, it’s a national historic landmark, and more than a million people from all over the world visit it each year. They come to pay their respects to the people who gave their lives on December 7, 1941.

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