Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month: Entertainment to Affect Change x Desolate Dreams
As many of you know, this film has been a true labor of love for the past six years. I began writing the screenplay in 2019, but like many filmmakers, I faced delays due to the pandemic. In late 2021, we filmed a fundraising teaser and I resumed active outreach the following year.
Since then, Desolate Dreams has gained momentum with support from tiered sponsors such as the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, Masto Foundation, Asian American Futures, Arena Stage, Strawberry Farms Productions, and Martin & Mae Herbert. We've also received individual donations and secured a fiscal sponsor in early 2024—the Independent Arts & Media. Most recently, we received a generous grant and are continuing to work hard behind-the-scenes to reach our fundraising goal.
As a filmmaker who is both Black and Japanese, this story speaks deeply to the power of cross-cultural friendship and standing together in times of injustice. I’m so incredibly grateful to our tiered sponsors and those who have donated thus far. We have a talented team of crew and actors tied to this film who are ready to bring this story to life, but we just need a little help getting there.
So, if you’re open to being a part of the journey, you can make a tax-deductible donation at desolatedreamsfilm.com/support. And....hopefully, I'll see you at the film premiere!VLOG: "The Ireichō" Day of Remembrance
Honoring History: The Ireicho National Tour Begins in D.C.
We went to the Navy Memorial Visitor Center in Washington, D.C., for a powerful and moving event—the kickoff of the national tour of The Ireicho – Book of Names. This extraordinary book documents every person of Japanese ancestry incarcerated during World War II.
As the Ireicho travels across the country, the public is invited to engage in a meaningful act of remembrance—stamping beneath the names of over 125,000 former incarcerees as a way to honor their history and resilience.
This is more than just a book—it's a chance to recognize the past, reflect on its impact, and ensure these names are never forgotten.
VLOG: 2024 Day of Remembrance
2024 Day of Remembrance event at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, marking the 82nd anniversary of President FDR's signing of Executive Order 9066, which authorized the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII.
Moderated by David Inoue, Executive Director of the Japanese American Citizens League
Panelists:
William Harris, Director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum
Perrin Ireland, artist and biologist, great-granddaughter of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Dr. Madeline Hsu, Professor of History and Director, Center for Global Migration Studies, University of Maryland
(Vlog Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay)
CLICK THE BOX BELOW TO WATCH THE VLOG:
HIGHLIGHT: March on Washington 2023
VLOG: Desolate Dreams at Heart Mountain Pilgrimage 2023!
Our recap at part of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Pilgrimage 2023.
VLOG: 25th Annual National Cherry Blossom Freedom Walk at the National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism
Panelists included Shirley Ann Higuchi (Chair of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation) and Wade Henderson (Former President and CEO of LCCNR).
“The National Japanese American Memorial is an American story about patriotism, courage, and ultimate triumph over injustice that occurred during World War II.
Surrounding the Memorial are 10 granite panels, engraved with the names of the ‘internment’ camps that imprisoned over 120,000 individuals whose only ‘crime’ was their Japanese ancestry.”
A Visit to the Japanese American National Museum
Right out front of JANM, there is an augmented reality installation by artist, Masaki Fujihata. Visitors check out an iPad and step back in time to the year 1942 where they can walk around in the recreation among Japanese Americans on the verge of leaving for the camps. This installation was inspired by the March and May 1942 photographs of Los Angeles-based incarcerees being taken to Manzanar and the Santa Anita temporary detention facility.
This is the Heart Mountain tile installation at JANM. Each tile consists of sand and dirt taken from the camp along with personal items from incarcerees. It is said that one of these items belongs to Bill Shishima, who was one of the key inspirations with the development of the Sakamoto family in Desolate Dreams:
VLOG: A Trip to the National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism
The National Japanese American Memorial Foundation is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Japanese Americans during World War II by honoring their heroic military service and patriotism while educating the public of their unjust incarceration and sacrifices. (source: https://www.njamemorial.org/about)