AMERICAN
AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH. >> THE ABC TUNED RACING CULTURE
TEAM IS RECOGNIZING THOSE MADE
MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE
COMMUNITY.
SOMETIMES THAT MEANS
DOCUMENTING SOME OF OUR
NATION'S DARKEST MOMENTS.
I SAT DOWN WITH A LOCAL
PHOTOGRAPHER WHO HAS TAKEN ON
THAT MISSION.
>> WE WERE INCARCERATED FOR OUR
NAMES AND WHILE WE'D LOOK LIKE
NOTHING ELSE.
>> I'M SITTING DOWN WITH 83
YEAR OLD LESTER OKITA AS HE
RECALLS THE NATION'S REACTION
TO THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR.
>> PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT
ORDERED PEOPLE OF JAPANESE
DESCENT TO INTERNMENT CAMPS.
THE OJITO FAMILY SPENT THREE
YEARS INCARCERATED AT MULTIPLE
CAMPS.
>> WHAT I ALWAYS THINK THAT I
WAS AN AMERICAN AS ANYBODY YOU
KNOW, I LOVE AMERICAN MOVIES.
I LOVE FOOTBALL BASKETBALL.
WATCH THE KINGS LAST NIGHT.
THIS APOLOGY IS LONG OVERDUE.
OJITO WAS THERE BACK IN
FEBRUARY 2020 WHEN FOR THE
FIRST TIME A NEARLY EIGHT
DECADES CALIFORNIA APOLOGIZED
TO SURVIVORS OF JAPANESE
INTERNMENT CAMPS AND THEIR
FAMILIES.
>> WE'D GATHERED EVERY
MORNING NOT JUST SCHOOL KIDS
BUT
ADULTS
ADULTS AND RAISED THE AMERICAN FLAG IN THE CAMPS AND PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE THE FLAG
OF THE UNITED STATES AMERICA.
HOW BITTERSWEET SWEET THAT THEY
WERE STILL LOYAL TO OUR
COUNTRY.
BUT BITTER THAT WERE BEHIND
BARBED WIRE.
YOU NEEDED A TOOL OR SOME KIND
OF THING THAT PEOPLE COULD
SHARE THESE STORIES PAUL
KEATING GORKI JUNIOR, A
PULITZER PRIZE WINNING
PHOTOGRAPHER AND SENIOR PHOTO
JOURNALIST AT THE SACRAMENTO
BEE IS NOW ON A MISSION TO
LOCATE AND WIN THE TRUST
OF OTHER FAMILIES WHO LIVED
THROUGH THE CAMPS DOCUMENTING
THEIR STORIES OF SURVIVAL.
>> THROUGH PHOTOS OF THEM THEN
AND NOW IN A TRAVELING EXHIBIT
AND IN THIS BOOK CALLED BEHIND
BARBED WIRE SEARCHING FOR
JAPANESE AMERICANS INCARCERATED
DURING WORLD WAR TWO BESIDES
HAVING AN EXHIBIT 1000 SO
ORDERED TO HAVE A BOOK
SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE COULD
SHARE A GORKY WAS SHOCKED TO
LEARN.
FAMED DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHER
DOROTHEA LANGE TOOK PICTURES
OF HIS GRANDPARENTS AND FATHER
PREPARING TO BOARD A BUS IN
OAKLAND TO A WORLD WAR TWO
INTERNMENT CAMP.
SHE ALSO SNAPPED THIS PHOTO
OF A LITTLE LESTER.
THERE HE IS WITH HIS BACK TO
THE CAMERA.
>> I WAS FOUR WHEN I WENT IN
SEVEN 1/2 WHEN I GOT OUT SO I
DIDN'T EXPERIENCE STUFF A LOT
OF BAD MEMORIES.
BUT MY OLDEST BROTHER WHO WAS
OF HIGH SCHOOL AGE, HE
REMEMBERED FLORIN, SACRAMENTO.
HE MISSED IT.
HE MISSED THE OUTSIDE AND HE
SAID HE DIDN'T ENJOY A SINGLE
DAY OF HIS CAMP KID A DONKEY
FEATURES AND THEN AND NOW PHOTO
OF LESTER AND HIS SIBLINGS IN
THE BOOK.
>> LESTER SAYS HE'S OFTEN ASKED
A SIMILAR QUESTION THEY WOULD
ASK.
>> DO YOU THINK IT'LL HAPPEN
AGAIN?
I USED TO ALWAYS SAY NO.
1942 IS A DIFFERENT TIME.
BUT AS THINGS ARE HAPPENING NOW
WITH SO YOU KNOW, I PROBABLY
WOULDN'T ANSWER DIFFERENTLY
NOW.
OUR CLIMATE TODAY WHAT A
DIVIDED COUNTRY WE HAVE.
>> THAT'S WHY LESTER SAYS HE IS
SO THANKFUL FOR THE WORK
OF TALENTED PHOTOGRAPHERS LIKE
PAUL KEATING GAWKY JUNIOR
DETERMINED TO SHINE A SPOTLIGHT
ON A DARK TIME IN OUR NATION'S
HISTORY THAT CHANGED SO MANY
FAMILY'S LIVES FOREVER.
>> A LOT OF THEM CAME BACK AND
LIVED HERE AT THE CHURCH
BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY PLACE THAT
THEY HAD THEY LOST THEIR HOMES,
THEY LOST THEIR BUSINESSES AND
THEY HAD NOTHING.
SO THIS IS WHERE THEY WERE ABLE
TO REBUILD THEIR LIVES.
HISTORY IS IMPORTANT AND I WISH
IT WAS EMPHASIZED MORE AND THE
KIDS TODAY ARE LEARNING A
LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT U.S.
HISTORY AND SACRIFICES
OF GENERATIONS BEFORE AND SO
WHAT PAUL'S DOING IT'S I THINK
IT'S GREAT.
KENTUCKY IS ON A MISSION TO
SHARE OTHER STORIES AND HE
NEEDS YOUR HELP.
DO YOU HA A FAMILY MEMBER OR
KNOW OF SOMEONE WHO SURVIVED
THIS DARK TIME IN OUR NATION'S
HISTORY?
PAUL WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU.
YOU