My First Introduction to Video Production: Manzanar Documentary

When I was in eighth grade, I undertook my first video project. I was given the task to create a final research piece based on something I was passionate about. Prior to World War II, my hometown had a very large Japanese population; however, many were ripped from their homes and sent to internment camps, such as Manzanar. This moved and motivated me to learn more about the injustice which happened in our country, and in the place I grew up. To research and document this history, I coordinated interviews with members of my community who were sent to internment camps during World War II, gathered archival photos and videos, traveled to Manzanar to gain information and visual content of the internment camp system, and ultimately composed a documentary of what I learned. This project was a catalyst for my love of visual storytelling and video production.