The short film “Loyal American,” directed by photographer and National Geographic Explorer Haruka Sakaguchi, will be screened on Saturday, June 6, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Japanese American National Museum’s Democracy Center, 100 N. Central Ave. in Little Tokyo.
“Loyal American” follows Henry Kaku, a descendant of America’s concentration camps, as he embarks on a pilgrimage to the former camp where his father Keige was imprisoned during World War II.
Before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Keige — a U.S.-born citizen — served in the U.S. Army. Shortly after the attack, he was abruptly discharged and sent to camp. Outraged by his imprisonment despite his birthright citizenship and military service, Keige refused to declare his loyalty to the U.S. on a government-issued loyalty questionnaire and ultimately renounced his U.S. citizenship. He and his family were later deported to Japan, where Henry was born.
Produced in partnership with National Geographic Society, this film follows Henry’s journey as he reflects on the moral and existential dilemmas his father faced and contemplates the question: What does it mean to be a “loyal” American?
This film premiered at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center on Feb. 19, 2025 and has since been screened at the National Geographic Headquarters and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, among other institutions. It has also been featured in National Geographic Education and Le Monde.
Following the screening, Sakaguchi will be in conversation with Kaku as they explore ideas of loyalty and identity.
$5 general, free for JANM members. Tickets: www.janm.org/events/2026-06-06/film-screening-loyal-american-haruka-sakaguchi
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