Congratulations to Dr. Kelli Y. Nakamura* for her latest publication in the Pacific Historical Review by the University of California Press. Dr. Nakamura’s article, “A ‘Revenge Bound Orgy’: The Conflict between Hawai‘i’s Local and Military Cultures in the 1945 Damon Tract Riot,” offers an important insight into a strategically “forgotten” event and gives voice to local women and others who were impacted by this historic event.
The Damon Tract riot offers important insight into the development of the unique local and military culture in Hawai‘i and longstanding hostilities between servicemen and locals that culminated in one of the largest postwar military uprisings on American soil. Despite this distinction and the concern it generated from local, federal, and military officials, scholars have not carefully examined the riot itself. This oversight was in part due to local and national events and interests as the media operated within a highly militarized state even in the postwar period. Thus, military and business leaders, as well as political supporters of statehood, played an important role in the postwar period in the historical erasure of events like the Damon Tract riot that challenged the emerging victory culture.
*Dr. Kelli Nakamura is an associate professor of history and alumna of the Wo Learning Champions. She is a published author on Japanese American history, women’s studies, and other topics. Dr. Nakamura’s article is available in the current issue of the Pacific Historical Review.
Related links:
- Kelli Nakamura Selected for National Cohort Examining Visual Culture of the American Civil War and its Aftermath, https://newsarchive.kapiolani.hawaii.edu/nehsummerinstitute/
- Kelli Nakamura Receives National Teaching Award, https://newsarchive.kapiolani.hawaii.edu/nakamuraaward/