"Grand Master Artist"

Early in the film, you here someone tell James Mirikitani to "take it easy." Mirikitani quickly snaps back and says, "Take it easy? Nevermind take it easy!" As simple as it sounds, it shows the character of James Mirkitani. You can tell that when he makes his art, he is fully focused. The Japanese are known for being devoted to their professions and talents. Mirikitani tells us that his roots descends from a 950 year old samurai family and you tell that through his work ethic and wisdom.

I enjoyed James Mirikitani's wit. He reminded me of a stereotypical old wise man who did not have to say much to make an impact. He had a unique wisdom and lively aura to him that can only be obtained through truly living a life. If James Mirikitani was part of a Filipino family, he would be the Tito Boy--the uncle who the children loved and who all the elders respected.

Throughout the film you can feel the resentment from Mirikitani against the U.S. government. He would try to hide it sometimes, but you can almost feel it coming out of the screen, especially when they talked about the internment camps. He said, "It doesn't make a difference if I'm Japanese. Born In Sacramento!"Interestingly, this was filmed around 9/11 and they make a distinct comparison of discrimination between the Muslims on the "War on Terror" and the Japanese during WW2. The film takes a sound bit from the news that says, "At a time of fear, there is a time of overreacting." This was a very powerful statement and it followed with Mirikitani saying, "Can't make war. Five seconds, ashes" and it cut to a mushroom cloud from a nuclear bomb. It was as if Mirikitani was making a prediction of where the "War on Terror" could lead to.

Mirikitani's resentment made him not want help from the U.S. government with social security benefits. The director keeps prying him to get it but he just brushes it off. Later on in the film he finally agrees and also visits the internment camp. It seems that James Mirikitani finally makes peace with all the wrong doings he has when he says that his madness "passed through him" late in the film.

It is important to make peace with things. The Filipino WW2 veterans still don't have full benefits that they deserve for serving alongside the Allies during WW2. In this Youtube clip, you can see that after 20 years of lobbying for full recognition, he surrenders the uniform and medals he earned as a symbolic "F U" to the people that would not give him what he and other Filipino WW2 veterans rightfully deserve