I know, I know. When you think of good musical material, Internment and War are the first subjects to pop up in my head too.
Okay, maybe not, but the music brought emotion to this story in a way that spoken word wouldn't have.
The show is about a Japanese family who have been forced to leave their lives in California after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and move to an internment camp in Wyoming. These weren't just Immigrants or refugees, many were born here in the US and other than being Japanese, had no ties to Japan. They had the rights to an American passport, but were essentially treated like criminals.
Over 100,000 people forced into imprisonment. Simply because of their lineage.
Many wanted to fight for the US, many had no connections to Japan, but still they were considered dangerous to the general population. Those of German decent or Italian decent weren't treated that way, but those with "yellow" skin? Easy targets.
I wish that I could say that it is hard to believe. Fear is a dangerous emotion and it led lawmakers and politicians to lock up our own citizens.
Many wanted to fight for the US, many had no connections to Japan, but still they were considered dangerous to the general population. Those of German decent or Italian decent weren't treated that way, but those with "yellow" skin? Easy targets.
I wish that I could say that it is hard to believe. Fear is a dangerous emotion and it led lawmakers and politicians to lock up our own citizens.
Sadly, to be honest, it's not surprising. And it is not too
far off from what is still possible today. With the fear of terrorism,
of incoming refugees, of people who don't look like the "normal"
American, or pray to the same God, I can imagine this happening again. It's sad to say, but with
some of the things "wanna be" politicians are proclaiming, and the
followers who seem all to quick to agree, the mob mentality still seems to be alive and
growing. It's far more than scary. It's disgusting.
Which is why I think Allegiance is a must see.
It's not a perfect show, but it is a good show and it is an incredibly timely commentary on US society. I think it speaks far more about American history than it originally set out to do. With the current climate surrounding immigration reform, refugees, it is like hate and fear are making a daily appearance on the news. I wish everyone, in small towns and big cities had the opportunity to experience this story (some more than others). Like many dark spots in our history, we tend to gloss over it in school. I grew up on the West Coast, an area with a large Japanese population. Japanese Internment was a very, very small part of our history class. Basically, a simple, "This is what happened. The end." No discussion on what was right or wrong, no humanization of it. Just a few facts and then our class moved on.
It's almost odd to say that a show about this dark part of American History is set perfectly to song and dance, but it was. One of the things that I liked about the show is that yes, the circumstances were horrible, but life went on and they did the best they could to continue living. Life doesn't stop----in any circumstance, so you have to keep going.
There is this phrase that kept coming up throughout the show, "Gaman." It is a Buddhist term, that essentially means, "to endure with optimism, patience and dignity."
Having spent as much time in Japan as I have, this sentiment and the song that went with it were incredibly beautiful (and immediately started a trail of tears that never seemed to stop). I had a fantastic opportunity to get to know many Japanese people, now my friends, who during my time there treated me with nothing but respect and love. Dignity and strength are a part of who the Japanese are and "Gaman" seemed to remind me of my time there and they people I met. They are a proud people and I couldn't help but feel the sadness that the family felt, how stripping them of their lives must have been humiliating, how their neighbors and "friends" took advantage of it.
Gaman still rings true today and, like the show, it will stick with me for awhile.
Allegiance was definitely a heavy show, but filled with talent. George Takei was a gem, incredibly adorable and filled with such heart. Lea Solanga (my Filipina sista) was out sick that night, which I was bummed by, but her understudy was fantastic. Though I would have loved to have seen Lea, it didn't really matter who told the story----as long as it got told.
One other observation, not about the show itself, but with those that saw it. I've never seen such a diverse audience, with so many of Asian decent. There were a ton of Filipinos as well (you can tell by the nose!). It was really awesome to see a group of non-white people fully represented on stage. I wish it happened more often.
It's not a perfect show, but it is a good show and it is an incredibly timely commentary on US society. I think it speaks far more about American history than it originally set out to do. With the current climate surrounding immigration reform, refugees, it is like hate and fear are making a daily appearance on the news. I wish everyone, in small towns and big cities had the opportunity to experience this story (some more than others). Like many dark spots in our history, we tend to gloss over it in school. I grew up on the West Coast, an area with a large Japanese population. Japanese Internment was a very, very small part of our history class. Basically, a simple, "This is what happened. The end." No discussion on what was right or wrong, no humanization of it. Just a few facts and then our class moved on.
It's almost odd to say that a show about this dark part of American History is set perfectly to song and dance, but it was. One of the things that I liked about the show is that yes, the circumstances were horrible, but life went on and they did the best they could to continue living. Life doesn't stop----in any circumstance, so you have to keep going.
There is this phrase that kept coming up throughout the show, "Gaman." It is a Buddhist term, that essentially means, "to endure with optimism, patience and dignity."
Having spent as much time in Japan as I have, this sentiment and the song that went with it were incredibly beautiful (and immediately started a trail of tears that never seemed to stop). I had a fantastic opportunity to get to know many Japanese people, now my friends, who during my time there treated me with nothing but respect and love. Dignity and strength are a part of who the Japanese are and "Gaman" seemed to remind me of my time there and they people I met. They are a proud people and I couldn't help but feel the sadness that the family felt, how stripping them of their lives must have been humiliating, how their neighbors and "friends" took advantage of it.
Gaman still rings true today and, like the show, it will stick with me for awhile.
Allegiance was definitely a heavy show, but filled with talent. George Takei was a gem, incredibly adorable and filled with such heart. Lea Solanga (my Filipina sista) was out sick that night, which I was bummed by, but her understudy was fantastic. Though I would have loved to have seen Lea, it didn't really matter who told the story----as long as it got told.
One other observation, not about the show itself, but with those that saw it. I've never seen such a diverse audience, with so many of Asian decent. There were a ton of Filipinos as well (you can tell by the nose!). It was really awesome to see a group of non-white people fully represented on stage. I wish it happened more often.
I hope the show is around for a long time. The more people who see it, the more empathy there will be in the world.
And that will never, ever be a bad thing.
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