Annual Membership Meeting & Presentation
Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 6:00-8:00 P.M. HST
Held online via Zoom
Free and Open to the Public
“Legacies of Incarceration: The World War II Experience of Hawai‘i’s Japanese.”
Presented By:
Kelli Nakamura, Ph.D.
Register for the event at bit.ly/HHSAnnualMeeting2026
The Hawaiian Historical Society (HHS) invites its members and friends to our Annual Membership Meeting and Program on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. (Hawai‘i Standard Time). HHS will be hosting our annual event online via Zoom to allow our members throughout the islands, continental U.S., and international locations a chance to gather together.
The business meeting and election of the trustees will begin at 6:00 P.M. followed by Dr. Nakamura’s presentation 7:00 P.M. All are welcome; however, only members in good standing may vote. Please see below for your membership status and to renew. Please disregard, if you are a Life Member.
Kelli Y. Nakamura, Ph.D. will present on her newest publication, Legacies of Incarceration. This publication provides a holistic view of the incarceration experience of Hawaiʻi’s Japanese by exploring the factors that shaped the circumstances of confinement on each island before, during, and after World War II. This book examines residents’ experiences on Hawai‘i Island, Maui, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Kaua‘i, and O‘ahu, expanding beyond an O‘ahu-centric, urban focus to highlight the community impact of incarceration.
With the conclusion of the war, authorities lifted military regulations and released the remaining prisoners. However, the impact of war and incarceration continued to reverberate throughout Hawaiʻi. As its title suggests, this book ultimately documents the enduring legacies of war that still deeply resonate in various communities within the Islands and beyond, illuminating the impacts of wartime racism.
Join us for a discussion on Nakamura’s archival research; which reveals these varied perspectives and includes sources such as inmate oral histories, diaries, newspaper interviews, songs, and poetry found in Hawai‘i, California, Washington D.C., Maryland, and Hiroshima, Japan. There will be a Q&A to follow after the presentation.
This will be a virtual event, hosted online via zoom. Register for the event at bit.ly/HHSAnnualMeeting2026or scan the QR Code.
About the Author:
Kelli Y. Nakamura, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at Kapi‘olani Community College. Her research interests focus upon Japanese and Japanese American history and she has published articles in the Journal of World History, Amerasia, the Historian, and also the Hawaiian Journal of History. She also teaches at the Ethnic Studies, Women’s Studies, and History Department at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa focusing on gender and race during World War II. She is also co-editor for the Hawaiian Journal of History.
Purchase A Copy!
A great addition to your library or as a gift. For a limited time, pre-order a signed or unsigned softcover. Purchasers will be notified when their books are available for pick-up at the Hawaiian Historical Society Reading Room.
Mailing is also available. Please indicate this on the order form in the “comments” section. There is an additional shipping and handling fee which will be calculated and sent to you separately. Visit https://bit.ly/LegaciesofIncarceration to purchase your copy. Members get a discount! Visit https://bit.ly/LegaciesofIncarceration-MemberPrice to purchase your copy with member discount.
