Although many thousands of Japanese and Japanese-Americans were interred during WWII, "A Family Gathering" is different in that it focuses specifically on the experiences of one family. I like this because I've seen other documentaries on the subject but this one felt more personal.
Shortly after the United States was attacked by Japan, the American government overreacted. They saw EVERY Japanese and Japanese-American living in the States as potential enemies and saboteurs. And, for 'the greater good' all the Japanese/Japanese-Americans on the west coast were incarcerated in camps spread across the west...and mostly in god-awful places, such as Manzanar in the Sierras. Without trial, folks were held in these camps throughout the war....and even a little bit beyond in some cases simply because of their heritage.
The film is well made and incredibly sad. My advice is that if you watch, have some Kleenex handy...just in case.
Shortly after the United States was attacked by Japan, the American government overreacted. They saw EVERY Japanese and Japanese-American living in the States as potential enemies and saboteurs. And, for 'the greater good' all the Japanese/Japanese-Americans on the west coast were incarcerated in camps spread across the west...and mostly in god-awful places, such as Manzanar in the Sierras. Without trial, folks were held in these camps throughout the war....and even a little bit beyond in some cases simply because of their heritage.
The film is well made and incredibly sad. My advice is that if you watch, have some Kleenex handy...just in case.
