LOS ANGELES — The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II is a profound chapter in American history, and their only crime was being Japanese American.
ABC7 Eyewitness News Anchor/co-producer David Ono and Jeff MacIntyre, co-producer, are telling this story through their documentary “Witness — The Legacy of Heart Mountain.”
Through the largest private collection of more than 2,000 photographs taken at Heart Mountain and interviews with local Southern California internees and descendants such as Judge Lance Ito and Brian Kito of Fugetsu-Do Confectionary and a visit to the actual camp site, this documentary brings a powerful message of what can happen when civil liberties are traded for fear and discrimination.
On June 19, the Television Academy announced its 66th annual Los Angeles Area Emmy Award Nominations, with “Witness” receiving four total nominations in the category of Arts and Culture/History, outstanding writer (Ono) and outstanding editor — programming (MacIntyre) and outstanding videographer (MacIntyre).
In addition, “Witness” has received a Radio Television Digital News Assn.’s Edward R. Murrow Award and the RTDNA’s National Unity Award, which honors outstanding achievements in the coverage of cultural diversity in the communities they serve.
The Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards will be presented on July 26.
To further educate the public on this important issue, a website has been created to share information on what happened in Heart Mountain through newly discovered documents from the camp and WRA, as well as various organizations such as the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, the Japanese American National Museum and Washington State University.
For more information, visit www.heartmountainfilm.com/.
Originally published on June 20, 2014
