{"id":"The Ties That Bind: Generations of Faith (film)","doctype":"articles","links":{"html":"https://resourceguide.densho.org/The%20Ties%20That%20Bind:%20Generations%20of%20Faith%20(film)/","json":"https://resourceguide.densho.org/api/3.0/articles/The%20Ties%20That%20Bind:%20Generations%20of%20Faith%20(film)/"},"title_sort":"thetiesthatbindgenerationsoffaithfilm","description":"Documentary film about this history of the\n \n Buena Vista United Methodist Church\n \n , a Japanese American church in\n \n Alameda, California\n \n , on its 100th anniversary. Using family photographs, home movies and other sources, the film takes us through the church's history in ten and twenty year intervals, highlighting its founding and early growth through the Issei era, the impact of wartime incarceration, and its evolution in the postwar period.","rg_rgmediatype":["films"],"mediatype_label":"Films and Video","mediatype_icon":"fa-film","rg_interestlevel":["Grades 9-12","Adult"],"rg_genre":["Documentary"],"rg_theme":["Importance of community","Role of Religion – virtue or hypocrisy"],"rg_availability":["Available"],"categories":[{"title":"Arts"}],"topics":[],"authors":[{"title":"Brian Niiya","json":"https://resourceguide.densho.org/api/3.0/authors/Brian%20Niiya/","html":"https://resourceguide.densho.org/authors/Brian%20Niiya/"}],"sources":[],"title":"The Ties That Bind: Generations of Faith (film)","published_rg":true,"modified":"2025-06-09T14:33:42","databoxes":{"rgdatabox-Core":{"rgmediatype":["films"],"title":["The Ties That Bind: Generations of Faith"],"creators":[],"interestlevel":["Grades 9-12","Adult"],"readinglevel":[],"guidedreadinglevel":[],"lexile":[],"theme":["Importance of community","Role of Religion – virtue or hypocrisy"],"genre":["Documentary"],"pov":["Told from perspective of Buena Vista United Methodist Church members"],"relatedevents":[],"availability":["Available"],"freewebversion":["Yes"],"primarysecondary":[],"hasteachingaids":["No"],"warnings":[],"denshotopic":["Religion and churches-Religious organizations [397]"],"geography":["Alameda, California"],"chronology":["1898–1998"],"facility":[]},"databox-Films":{"title":["The Ties That Bind: Generations of Faith"],"date":["1998"],"genre":["Documentary"],"released":[],"director":[],"producer":["Wendy Hanamura","Mark Sigmon"],"writer":["Wendy Hanamura"],"screenplay":[],"story":[],"basedon":[],"narrator":["Wendy Hanamura"],"starring":["Hisano Akagi (interviewee)","Shizuto Kawamura (interviewee)","Shug Madokoro (interviewee)","Hazel Takii Morikawa (interviewee)","Sadako Towata Tajima (interviewee)","Judy Furiichi (interviewee)","Bunny Scalzo (interviewee)","Wayne Koike (interviewee)","George Chin (interviewee)","Nellie Takeda (interviewee)","Mark Koike (interviewee)","Jo Takata (interviewee)","Niel Tam (interviewee)","Miya Chen (interviewee)","Isaac Doi (interviewee)","Grace Doi (interviewee)","Wilton Acee (interviewee)"],"music":[],"cinematography":["Ted Niiya"],"editing":["Eric Ladenburg"],"studio":["Flower Village Films"],"distributor":[],"runtime":["42 minutes"],"country":[],"language":[],"budget":[],"gross":[],"imdblink":[],"trailerlink":[]}},"rg_title":["The Ties That Bind: Generations of Faith"],"rg_pov":["Told from perspective of Buena Vista United Methodist Church members"],"rg_freewebversion":["Yes"],"rg_geography":["Alameda, California"],"rg_chronology":["1898–1998"],"rg_hasteachingaids":["No"],"body":"
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\n Title:The Ties That Bind: Generations of Faith;\nDate:1998; \nGenre:Documentary;\nReleased:;\nDirector:;\nProducer:Wendy Hanamura; Mark Sigmon;\nWriter:Wendy Hanamura;\nScreenplay:;\nStory:;\nBasedOn:;\nNarrator:Wendy Hanamura;\nStarring:Hisano Akagi (interviewee); Shizuto Kawamura (interviewee); Shug Madokoro (interviewee); Hazel Takii Morikawa (interviewee); Sadako Towata Tajima (interviewee); Judy Furiichi (interviewee); Bunny Scalzo (interviewee); Wayne Koike (interviewee); George Chin (interviewee); Nellie Takeda (interviewee); Mark Koike (interviewee); Jo Takata (interviewee); Niel Tam (interviewee); Miya Chen (interviewee); Isaac Doi (interviewee); Grace Doi (interviewee); Wilton Acee (interviewee);\nMusic:;\nCinematography:Ted Niiya;\nEditing:Eric Ladenburg;\nStudio:Flower Village Films;\nDistributor:;\nRuntime:42 minutes;\nCountry:;\nLanguage:;\nBudget:;\nGross:;\nIMDBLink:;\nTrailerLink:;\n

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\n RGMediaType:films;\nTitle:The Ties That Bind: Generations of Faith;\nCreators:;\nInterestLevel:Grades 9-12; Adult;\nReadingLevel:;\nGuidedReadingLevel:;\nLexile:;\nTheme:Importance of community; Role of Religion – virtue or hypocrisy;\nGenre:Documentary;\nPoV:Told from perspective of Buena Vista United Methodist Church members;\nRelatedEvents:;\nAvailability:Available;\nFreeWebVersion:Yes;\nPrimarySecondary:;\nHasTeachingAids:No;\nWarnings:;\nDenshoTopic:Religion and churches-Religious organizations [397];\nGeography:Alameda, California;\nChronology:1898–1998;\nFacility:;\n

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\n Documentary film about this history of the\n \n Buena Vista United Methodist Church\n \n , a Japanese American church in\n \n Alameda, California\n \n , on its 100th anniversary. Using family photographs, home movies and other sources, the film takes us through the church's history in ten and twenty year intervals, highlighting its founding and early growth through the Issei era, the impact of wartime incarceration, and its evolution in the postwar period.\n

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\n \n Authored by\n \n Brian Niiya\n \n , Densho\n \n
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\n Niiya, Brian\n
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\n Might also like\n \n \n Honoring Alameda's Japanese American History\n \n \n (2012);\n \n \n Leap of Faith: How Enmanji Temple Was Saved\n \n \n (2010);\n \n \n Comforting the Afflicted\n \n \n (2003)\n

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