September Events: National Literacy Month

September is National Literacy Month and is an opportunity to connect with the poems and stories of those who were held at the camp. The internees and incarcerated American civilians devoted themselves to learning English, the very language of their captors who imprisoned them.

Through poems and stories, the prisoners of Honouliuli remained mentally resilient through their unjust internment, and the National Park Service has partnered with bookstores and authors who continue to publish literary works that honor that history. This month will feature a speaker and in-person book events to meet these authors and learn about their work.

Please Note:

Nearly all of our Speaker Series events will be virtual.

Event details will be posted closer to the month in which they take place. Please check back for updates to the calendar and event pages.

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Speaker: Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson

Date and Time: September 4th, 2025, 5:30-6:30 PM (HST). Zoom link will be provided at a later date.

Discussion Summary: Searching for my Grandfather’s Voice at Honouliuli

As the granddaughter of a Japanese American civilian who was incarcerated at Sand Island and Honouliuli, Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson has long sought to better understand her grandfather's story. Although he died long before she was born, Sharon inherited the shells her grandfather had collected during his incarceration. Her newest children's book, SHELL SONG, shares the story his shells carried across generations to her. Sharon will discuss her family story, her grandmother's poems and autobiography, her retellings of her grandfather's experience, and reflections on visiting Honouliuli National Historic Site in person. Sharon will be in Hawai'i for in-person book events in September.

 

Honoring Honouliuli: Library Talk

Salt Lake-Moanalua Public Library

Date and Location:
September 6, 2025, Salt Lake-Moanalua Public Library, 3225 Salt Lake Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96818, 1:00-2:00 PM

About the Event: Honouliuli National Historic Site's Outreach and Education Lead, Jian, will be giving a 30-minute presentation at the Salt Lake-Moanalua Public Library about the history of Honouliuli Internment Camp and how the National Park Service is stewarding the site for the benefit of future generations. Following the talk will be time for talking story and answering questions related to the park.

The library will provide light refreshments.

 

Meet the Authors (Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson and Dr. Kelli Y. Nakamura)

da Shop

Date and Location: September 20 2025, da Shop, 3565 Harding Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816, 2:00-3:00PM (HST)

About the Event: Visit da Shop to meet these two authors

Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson's work is rooted in her Japanese-American heritage but more broadly seeks to normalize all types of stories of underrepresented characters who don't fit mainstream boxes. Her books "Shell Song" and "The Mochi Makers" are children's books that intersect the messages of the past with the hopes for future generations. Shell Song is the first ever children's book about Japanese American incarceration in Hawaii told through Sharon's family history and the shell collection she inherited from her grandfather. Come visit the store for a chance to speak with her about her experiences and written works at 10am featuring Shell Song. There will also be a keiki activity.

Then at 2pm, Sharon will be sharing her poetry featured in Gate of Memory, a poetry anthology comprised of poems by descendants of Japanese Americans incarcerated.

Joining Sharon will be author Dr. Kelli Nakamura as she discusses her book "Legacies of Incarceration: The World War II Experience of Hawaii's Japanese". Legacies of Incarceration provides a holistic view of the incarceration experience of Hawaii's Japanese by exploring the factors that shaped the circumstances of confinement on each island before, during ,and after WWII. This book examines residents' experiences on Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, Molokaʻi, Lanaʻi, Kauaʻi, and Oʻahu, expanding beyond an Oʻahu-centric urban focus to highlight the community impact of incarceration.

Dr. Kelli Y. Nakamura is also a featured speaker in December.

 

Meet the Author (Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson)

Barnes & Noble

Date and Location: September 21, 2025, Barnes & Noble, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd Ste 1272, Honolulu, HI 96814, 2:00-3:00PM (HST)

About the Event: Visit Barnes & Noble to meet Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson, an author whose work is rooted in her Japanese-American heritage but more broadly seeks to normalize all types of stories of underrepresented characters who don't fit mainstream boxes. Her books "Shell Song" and "The Mochi Makers" are children's books that intersect the messages of the past with the hopes for future generations. Come visit the store for a chance to speak with her about her experiences and written works.

 

Honouliuli Traveling Pop-Up Exhibit: Salt Lake-Moanalua Public Library

Salt Lake-Moanalua Public Library

Date: All of September, 2025, the Salt Lake-Moanalua Public Library, 3225 Salt Lake Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96818, open during library hours.

About the Event: For the entire month of September, the Salt Lake-Moanalua Public Library will be the home of Honouliuli National Historic Site's traveling exhibit. Visit the library to read up on the history of Honouliuli and what work has been done on the site since its discovery. For a comprehensive list of literature related to Honouliuli and Japanese American incarceration, please check out our Recommended Reading List.

 

Honouliuli Monthly Bookstore Educational Item

Pearl Harbor National Memorial Gift Shop

Date and Location: September 2025, 1 Arizona Memorial Place, Honolulu, HI, 96818

About the Event: The Honouliuli National Historic Site bookstore is located in the Pearl Harbor National Memorial bookstore. The bookstore, which carries items beyond just books, provides visitors with a range of interpretive and educational materials about Honouliuli. The income generated from these items supports important historic preservation, ongoing research, visitor interpretation, natural and cultural resources management, and educational programs at the park.

To find other ways to help support the park, explore the drop down menu under the Get Involved section of the navigation banner.