Veteran Stories Beyond Black & White

I hope you all had a lovely Memorial Day weekend. I certainly appreciated the break. Public media executives undertstand the unifying power of veteran stories. Which is why during this holiday, they always program stories about renowned and lesser known soldiers whose honorable and often extraordinary service is too often taken for granted. One of the programs that ran on PBS NewsHour over the weekend was the story of Yukio Kawamoto, a WWII veteran.  

Mr. Kawamoto was born in Berkeley, Calif., to immigrant parents who had moved to the U.S. from Hiroshima, Japan. He was drafted into the war shortly before his graduation from U.C. Berkeley. After serving in the Army as part of an intelligence unit, he continued serving his country in civil service where he built a long career. NewsHour tells his story through the recollections of his now adult children and a plethora of photos, commendations, letters and awards — among which is a Congressional Gold Medal. 

Meeting a Fellow ‘Oski’

I, too, grew up in California and attended U.C. Berkeley, where many of my classmates were third- and fourth-generation Americans (Sansei and Yonsei). So, I’m no stranger to stories about the Japanese American experience during and after World War II. You would think that after all the Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day celebrations I’ve experienced over the years, I’d have heard of this Gold Award-winning, fellow Cal “Oski” (U.C. Berkeley mascot), WWII veteran long ago. I had not. At least not until public media introduced him to me this week. 

Stories about brave people of diverse backgrounds who’ve served and sometimes died for this country — even while their friends and relatives were ridiculed, mistreated and even imprisoned back home — deserve national veneration. Unfortunately, these veteran stories don’t always penetrate beyond the communities they emerge from. But when they do, it is often thanks to public media.

Bridging Divides Through Story

The NewsHour piece about Mr. Kawamoto makes me proud to be a part of the public media ecosystem. He spent his post-war life working to bridge the cultural divides that too often polarize Americans. Bridging cultural divides is a value he and I share. If you’re interested in more stories about Asian American and Pacific Islander experiences, visit the website of our sister organizations: the Center for Asian American Media and Pacific Islanders in Communications.

Since this month is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I also recommend consulting your local PBS listings to discover what’s airing in your area. And don’t wait ’til next May to seek out these stories. There are more than enough to populate your calendar year-round. 

Americans are fortunate to live in a place where learning about and engaging with people of different cultures can be as easy as going to school or work, dining at a local eatery, or turning on our favorite media devices. It’s not this easy everywhere. I hope we appreciate the engagement opportunities public media affords us enough to ensure they endure.