Comforting the Afflicted (film)

Moderated panel discussion led by Phil Shigekuni with four prominent Japanese American Protestant ministers with ties to Los Angeles who were incarcerated during World War II. Three—Rev. Paul Nagano , Rev. John Miyabe, and Bishop Roy Sano—were at the Poston , Arizona, concentration camp, while Rev. Sam Tonomura was a boy in British Columbia caught up in the forced removal of Japanese Canadians during the war. The discussion covers the men's experiences during the war and the role of the church during the incarceration, particularly with regard to issues of "loyalty" and resistance. The men talk about the role of the church in the Redress Movement , in bridging divides in the Japanese American community today, and in the anti-Muslim/Arab climate following the 9/11 attacks. The format of the film largely follows that of a "talking heads" type television program, with the insertion of still historical photographs.

The 62-minute film was produced with the sponsorship of the Southern California United Methodists Nikkei Caucus and was funded in part by a grant from the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program .

Might also like Democracy Under Pressure: Japanese Americans and World War II (2000); Passing Poston: An American Story (2008); Our American Family: The Furutas (2015)