David Ono, Award-Winning Filmmaker, Captivates at President's Lecture Series
In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, UHD welcomed
Ono to discuss Japanese Americans in World War II and the valiant Nisei Soldiers,
second-generation Japanese Americans who fought in segregated units. Moderated by
ABC 13's Miya Shay, Ono delved into the sobering realities faced by Japanese Americans
during the war and the importance of learning from the past. 
"Hate has been spewed at almost any community that can be isolated. In my investigations, the underlying tone of everything...is stereotyping," he said. "The Japanese Americans were stereotyped because they looked like the enemy. The hardest part for Americans who weren't Japanese to get is that, just because they were of Japanese descent, it doesn't make them the enemy. They were born here. They were Americans."
When asked how an individual can make a difference in their community, Ono said, "You learn about yourself once you learn your own story, you start to find that commonality. Who else shares that common story?"
As UHD recognizes Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Ono's candid discussion illustrates the importance of investigating history though an unbiased lens, learning from its ugly chapters, and striving to build a more just society.
The tenor of the event is best summarized by how Ono closed the proceedings: "When it comes to this story, the Nisei Soldier, and what happened to the Japanese Americans in World War II, it's not this community's story. It's an American story. We're all connected."