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The Japanese American Veterans Collection

At the University of Hawaii

Everyone has a story to share.

Everyone's story is important.

Unless our history is preserved, it will not be remembered.

Everyone has a story to tell, and everyone’s story is important. Archives collect these stories, preserve them, and share them with people for generations to come. For this reason, Archives play an essential role in shaping how society remembers and learns from the past, because what is collected and preserved is what becomes history.

What is the Japanese American Veterans Collection?

The University of Hawaii Library Archives & Manuscripts Department established the Japanese American Veterans Collection (JAVC) to document the rich heritage of Hawaii's Japanese American veterans and their families, including enlisted men and officers of the 100th Infantry Battalion, Hawaii Territorial Guard, Varsity Victory Volunteers, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 1399th Engineers, and the Military Intelligence Service. The stories of these veterans and their families are significant, because they emphasize the importance of democracy and civil liberties in American society from a unique Hawaii perspective. The JAVC will help ensure that this vital part of history is preserved and passed on to future generations.

What's in the Japanese American Veterans Collection?

The JAVC is made up of collections documenting individuals, families, military units, and organizations. Examples include the papers of Chaplain Hiro Higuchi and the 442nd Veterans Club. Collections can include a variety of different types of materials, including letters, photographs and photo albums, diaries and journals, biographical and genealogical information, professional files, scrapbooks, and audiovisual items. All of these materials can contain important historical information worth preserving in the Archives.

The JAVC obtains most of its resources through donations—and we're always happy to work with anyone interested in making a donation! As part of the process, we ask donors to sign a Deed of Gift transferring ownership and rights associated with the collection to the University of Hawaii Library. This Deed of Gift is important because the Archives can only invest supplies and labor in preserving collections that it owns, in order to make the materials available for educational and outreach purposes.

How does the Archives care for its collections?

The Archives is dedicated to preserving its collections and making them available to researchers. Experienced archival staff organize collections according to professional archival standards, and they create research guides that are available in print, as well as on the World Wide Web. Collections are housed in acid-free containers that are stored in the library's environmentally controlled, secure storage area. When collections contain fragile or damaged materials, archivists consult with the library's Preservation Department to determine the best method to safely repair the items.

Who can use the Japanese American Veterans Collection?

The main reason that our society keeps archives is to share these important historical resources with the public. Archives like the Japanese American Veterans Collection provide endless learning opportunities, so it makes little sense to preserve these valuable resources unless we make them available for research. Anyone can do archival research!

The JAVC is open to all researchers, including donors and their families, scholars, teachers, students, and any individual interested in using primary source materials to learn about the unique experience of Hawaii’s Japanese American veterans. Doing research in the Archives is different from finding books in a library; therefore, we encourage researchers to make an appointment with an archivist who will guide them through the process of using primary source materials.

First-time researchers are asked to fill out a registration form, and all researchers must use collections in our supervised reading room. In order to safeguard our unique materials for future generations, the Archives requests that all researchers follow specific usage policies which prohibit food, drinks, and the use of ink pens when using materials. Researchers needing copies of originals should consult with an archivist about the library's duplication policies.

The JAVC website includes research guides to collections, bibliographies and other research tools, as well as digital images of selected materials.

How can I learn more?

To learn more about the Japanese American Veterans Collection at the University of Hawaii Library, please contact:

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