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Tour group visiting Honouliuli National Historic Site.
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A view of the valley where the Honouliuli camp was formerly located.
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While no tents or buildings remain, features like water diversion exits help historians identify specific locations mentioned in photos and stories.
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Christine Ogura, Superintendent of Honouliuli National Historic Site, leads a tour.
Students from SOC 2600 - Peace Studies, led by Vince Okada, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Social Work, recently visited the Honouliuli National Historic Site. Once known as Jigoku-Dani (Hell Valley), Honouliuli was Hawai‘i’s largest WWII internment camp. While the park is expected to officially open to the public this summer, students received a rare tour from Okada, who serves as a docent for the site.
Understanding this history is vital for Peace Studies, as it highlights how fear can erode civil liberties and underscores the need for vigilant justice.
Martha Angerer, an exchange student from Germany, was moved by the site's hidden history:
"The trip gave me a very good insight into what happened 80 years ago. It was interesting to see what remains today and who was brought there—there was even a German family and a family with a child held there."
CJ Cochiaosue, another SOC 2600 student, reflected on the systemic lessons of the visit:
"Walking through the site gave a more personal feeling than just reading a textbook. I was struck by how many internees were U.S. citizens. This visit demonstrated that peace requires more than the absence of conflict; it requires justice, equity, and a critical understanding of past injustices to prevent them from happening again."
