Zion Basque

Haku Blaisdell
Davin Takahashi

Process Paper

The topic for our National History Day project is Martial Law in
Hawaii: Taking a Stand Against Oppressive Army Rule. After the Japanese
Air Force attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, Hawaii was thrust
into martial law for two years, the legislative, judicial, and executive
powers of Hawaii were concentrated in a single military entity. Life for
civilians under this rule as oppressive, and it was even worse for Japanese-
Americans.
As Asian-Americans and lifelong residents of Hawaii, we felt this topic
was more than appropriate. One cant even begin to imagine the conditions
those during the martial law time period endured. My partners grandmother
was a young child at the time of martial laws institution, and she was able to
provide us valuable insight as a primary source. Blackouts, curfews, and
strict rations had stained her childhood.
Furthermore, our school is fortunate enough to have access to old
newspapers via microfilm. A plethora of first-hand resources dictating the
effects of army rule were at our fingertips, and we were eager to incorporate
it into our project. It was a great learning experience for us as researchers,
and it opened our eyes to what life was like back in the forties.
When selecting our category, we settled on a website for presentation
reasons. We could use a variety of multimedia sources while still conveying
our analyses through writing. Videos, recorded interviews, and slideshows
add to the understanding of the text.
The people who lived during martial law in Hawaii stood up against
several forms of civilian oppression. Through our website, we hope to
convey their stories and provide insight into this dark time in Hawaiis
history.