Popular Culture Review Vol. 11, No. 2, Summer 2000 | Page 31

Hollywood’s Stereotype of the Japanese American 27 Conclusion Go for Broke! embodies a historical and cultural significance. First, it serves as a filmic means by which to preserve and communicate the experiences of the 442nd’s veterans. Second, the movie contains images of Japanese Americans that significantly differ from the way the movie industry has depicted this minority; it serves as a counterpoint to the stereotypical anti-Japanese portrayals in other World War II films. Go fo r Broke! also finds a special niche within the milieu of films about Asian Americans, by serving as one of the first films to openly mention the internment experience of Japanese Americans. Though not released until 1960, the film Hell to Eternity dramatized the plight of the interned Japanese Americans. It told the true story of Marine hero Guy Gabaldon, who was orphaned at a young age and spent his childhood as the ward of a Japanese American family before World War 11. When his adoptive parents are sent to the camps, he questions why the same fate did not befall German- and Italian-Americans (Dick). Other, more recent films that focus on the Japanese American internment include 1976’s Farewell to Manzanar, based on the autobiographical book by Jeanne Wakasuki Houston, and Come See the Paradise, released in 1990. In this context, the film provides another aspect by which to study the Japanese American experience during the 20th century. A future research suggestion in this area includes a comparison of several World War 11 films with Go fo r Broke! and a qualitative analysis of their content. Researchers could also study the film’s significance by assessing how it embodied the 442nd’s actual experiences and camaraderie and its message’s effect on public attitudes and knowledge about the Japanese American soldiers’contribution during World War 11. Additionally, future researchers can study its place in the history of films about Asian Americans, who still face limited exposure and stereotypical roles in the movie industry (Chao). University of Nevada Las Vegas Joy Nishie and Erika Engstrom Works Cited Alpert, Hollis. “SRL Goes to the Movies.” Saturday Review 26 May 1951: 30 31. okaw, Tom. The Greatest Generation. New York: Random House, 1998. Carter, Hodding. “Go for Broke.” Pulitzer Prize Editorials: America s Best Editorial Writing 1917-1993. E d. Wm. David Sloan and Laird B. Anderson. 2nd ed. Ames: Iowa State UP, 1994. 97-99. Chang, Thelma. 7 Can Never Fo r g e t Me n o f the 100th/442nd. SigiProductions, 1991. Chao, Julia. “Asian Americans Seek Diversity in TV, Film Roles.” Las Vegas Sun 11 Sept. 1998: 13D. Crost, Lyn. Honor by Fire: Japanese Americans at War in Europe and the Pacific. Novato: Presidio Press, 1994.