Summary

"Tadaima, The Movie" portrays the post-World War II struggles and resilience of Japanese Americans returning home after unjust incarceration in camps, as they strive to rebuild their lives and homes with hope and dignity.

Abstract

The article discusses the historical injustice faced by Japanese Americans during and after World War II, highlighting their forced relocation to camps and the subsequent challenges of returning home. Despite facing racism, loss of property, and uncertain futures, these individuals and families demonstrated remarkable resilience. The film "Tadaima, The Movie," directed by Robin Takao D’Oench, captures these experiences, focusing on the emotional journey of one family's return to their former life. It emphasizes themes of loss, displacement, and hope, showcasing the strength required to rebuild homes and lives. The movie has received acclaim at various film festivals and serves as a poignant reminder of a dark period in American history, advocating for the fight against racism and the importance of love and dreams in creating a true home.

Opinions

The incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII is recognized as a significant injustice, reflecting the escalated discrimination and prejudice of the time.
The release of Japanese Americans from the camps with minimal support ($25 and a train or bus ticket) is seen as a continuation of the injustice, leaving many without a clear path forward.
The article expresses that the racist actions against Japanese Americans, such as the inability to purchase property, were unjust and deeply impactful.
The film "Tadaima, The Movie" is presented as a tribute to the director's grandfather and other Japanese Americans, honoring their legacy and experiences after the war.
The story conveyed in the film is one of hope, emphasizing the emotional fortitude needed to overcome adversity and rebuild a sense of home.
The article calls for a broader recognition of the Japanese American story to prevent future injustices and to support the ongoing fight against racism.
The importance of love, compassion, and patience is highlighted as essential components of a true home, suggesting that these values are crucial for overcoming adversity.

Tadaima Coming Home

Japanese Americans released from camp after World War II

A house is made with walls and beams. A home is made with love and dreams. Author Unknown

The meaning of the Japanese word Tadaima is “I’m back home” or “just now.” When Japanese people would return to their home, they would often call out the word, “Tadaima” as a greeting. The word means, “I just came home” or it can translate to “At last, I am home.”

It was a huge injustice when the Japanese Americans were incarcerated in camps during World War II. It was equally an injustice when they were released from the camps to go home. After the war ended, they were sent away with $25 and a train ride or a bus ticket. Where were they to go? What were they to do?

For many, it was a great dilemma. They had lost their homes which were mostly rented because they were forbidden by law to buy property in California. Some immigrants had purchased land before that law went into effect. Some others had been able to purchase land or houses in the names of their children who were American citizens and had reached the legal age before the war began. Some people in Washington and Oregon were allowed to purchase property. The racist actions, including that they could not buy a home, against the people who were of Japanese ethnicity were an injustice.

When World War II began, Americans and immigrants of Japanese descent found that the discrimination and prejudice that they had long experienced were escalated. Hatred toward them was being exhibited on every front. Immediately after the Imperial Navy of Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, leaders from within the Japanese immigrant and Japanese American communities were arrested by the FBI. It was a time of great uncertainty and fear.

Then Executive Order 9066 was issued and signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942. This gave authority to the military commanders in certain areas to remove any persons from their homes. Although the order could have been used against others, it was only enacted with the people of Japanese heritage living on the West Coast of the United States. It was a purely racist action. The order was not used in Hawaii.

People were removed from their homes with little notice and taken to temporary assembly centers where they were housed at racetracks or fairgrounds. Most lived in horse stalls recently vacated by the previous occupants. The stalls had been white washed, but horse hairs and the smell generally remained. Then ten camps were built in remote and desolate areas of the United States. The people were taken by train and bus to those locations, where most were required to live as prisoners until the war ended in 1945.

At the end of the war, the people were released from the camps. Some could not return to their prior homes because there was nothing left for them there. Some moved to locations closer to the camps where they were incarcerated. Others tried to return to their former homes in California, Washington, or Oregon. It was extremely difficult for them to start over basically with nothing.

There were some who did return to the homes where they lived before they were forced to leave and live in the camps. Some had friends or neighbors who vowed to take care of their property. A few were fortunate to return to find that the friends had been true to their word. They had taken good care of their home and belongings. Others came home to find destruction with nothing of value remaining.

“Tadaima, The Movie” was written and directed by Robin Takao D’Oench. The film honors the legacy of his grandfather, Paul Takagi, who was a UC Berkeley Professor Emeritus. He was a teenager when he entered camp with his family. The story is based on the experiences of his family and other Japanese Americans after the end of World War II.

This is a story about starting over. The story conveys feelings of loss, displacement, racism, emasculation, confusion and frustration. The strongest emotion that the writer was trying to capture within this film is hope.

The story shows how one family returned to less than ideal surroundings. They were forced to find the strength to rebuild their house and make it into a home once again. They suffered emotional and physical destruction by their camp incarceration experience during the war.

It is heart wrenching to see them return to their former home. However, they were some of the more fortunate ones who did have a place to which they could return.

The fifteen minute movie premiered at the CAAMFest 2015 in San Francisco. It has received several awards including: Best Drama at the NYC Downtown Short Film Festival and Best Short Narrative at DisOrient Film Festival of Oregon.

“Tadaima, The Movie” is currently available to watch on the Internet at tadaimathemovie.com.

If you read this and watch the movie, please share the information. The hope of Japanese Americans is that their story may become better known so that no one else will ever have to suffer the injustice and mistreatment that they endured during World War II. We can all help in the fight against racism in every form. Speak up and be willing to support those who suffer from racism.

For our home to be a refuge it needs to be a place where love, compassion, and patience prevail. Allan Lokos

Names of the ten camps are listed on the wall of the National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism in Washington, D.C. (image is author’s)

[Source: www.taidaimathemovie.com and conversations with Robin D’Oench.]

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