For immediate release

(April 8, 2002 - Cleveland, Ohio)

An American History: The Resettlement of Japanese Americans in Cleveland, an oral history about the lives of Japanese-Americans during WWII, will be screened during May or June of 2002 as part of the Digital Room Series in Washington, D.C. The Resettlement of Japanese Americans in Cleveland highlights a piece of American history often forgotten about in classrooms and textbooks, the collection of over 120,000 Japanese Americans in 10 different internment camps spread out across the United States

Once these families were released, they were not allowed to go back to their homes but instead relocated to all corners of the country. Cleveland, Ohio, then a growing hotspot for industry and production became one of the many resettlement locations.

People who made their lives and started families here in Cleveland, Ohio talk about their experiences of leaving the internment camps and facing the discrimination, the acceptance, the resentment and the encouragement that they encountered in their new hometown.

Directed by Cleveland native Johnny Wu with the collaboration of Greg Petusky, and Shawn Wickens with support by grants from the Japanese American Citizens League's National and Cleveland Chapters. An American History: The Resettlement of Japanese Americans in Greater Cleveland premiered on April 8th, 1999 and received a Community Service Award from the Japanese American Citizens League Cleveland Chapter for its honest portrayal of our imprinted piece of American history.

"A powerful and relevant documentary that I was glad to see" said Sujewa Ekanayake, founder of Wild Finer Films and the Digital Room Series in Washington, DC. Information about the documentary is available at http://www.mdifilm.com/OralHistory/docu.htm. The "An American History" recently aired (February and March 2002) on Philadelphia's educational cable channel, DUTV Channel 54 operated in Philadelphia by Drexel University through public and state support.

The Digital Room screening series was conceived by, and is organized and promoted by Sujewa Ekanayake, a Washington, DC area based filmmaker who is interested in independent & low budget film production & distribution, affordable & quality entertainment, and social justice. Visit http://www.wilddiner.com/digital_room.htm for more information.