Pearl Harbor: Don't miss 'NCIS-Hawaii' episode 9 of the first season

Scene from "NCIS: Hawaii's" ninth episode, "Imposter."

OPINION

NCIS: Hawaii, episode 9, titled "Imposter," is really special. If you don't watch anything else on TV this week, watch this episode. It is chock-full of AAPI history and what the AAPI community is experiencing now with this current  surge of anti-Asian hate.

Seeking an hour of escape, I was caught by surprise by this history lesson offered by NCIS: Hawaii. I'm reminded of the lyrics of a Mary Poppins song, "A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down." Maybe this is the way to "educate" the non-Asian audience about our history and how we feel about being the perpetual foreigner in the room and just to remind people we've been here for a long time and we're here now and we're not going away. Just by casually watching an American TV detective show viewers can get a brief history lesson and for a few minutes of walking in another person's shoes. 

During the hour-long show, the viewer learns about Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7, how the Japanese Americans were incarcerated, the exploits of Japanese American during WWII, how Hawaii imported workers from Asia, the Japanese Exclusion Act of 1907 and how AAPI feel about being questioned about our Americaness. 

My favorite scene was the scene when leading character, special agent in charge Jane Tennant (portrayed by Vanessa Lachey), explains to her 10-year old daughter her own experience of being told to go back where she came from.  I'm still waiting for Tennant or her kids say that they are Filipino Americans or that their racial roots trace back to the Philippines.

That's a lot to pack into a few minutes while telling an inspiring fictional story, of a Japanese American hero.

Kudos to the writers and producers who created this episode for doing their homework and willingness to make a statement by linking it to the current season of anti-Asian hate. To gain the episode's specific perspective and the messages that emanated from the show, it probably helps that Asian Americans are part of the producing (Larry Teng) and writing teams (Yalun Tu).  

The episode easily could have been heavy-handed and turn off a lot of viewers who don't like being lectured to, but they were able to pull it off and entertain at the same time. It was a risk to worth taking.

And I'll admit to getting a little teary-eye watching the final scene of the show. To cap it off, it ends with white letters on black background: "Dedicated to all those who were impacted on December 7, 1941, and to those who served - of all race, ethnicity, creed and citizenship status," thinking of the Japanese Americans who fought and died for America even though their own families were incarcerated; and all the men and women of color (including my own father) who served a nation they loved despite the racist slurs and barriers thrown at them. Oh, my!

After a slow start, the freshman series has gained momentum and CBS ordered a full season. A second season is up in the air.

It stars Vanessa Manillo Lachey, the second Filipina American to lead a U.S. TV series, and features an AAPI supporting cast. (The first Filipina American to star in her own series is Vanessa Hudgens in the short-lived Powerless.) It's refreshing to watch a show filmed in Hawaii with its cast reflecting the diversity of the Aloha State.

NCIS: Hawaii airs on Mondays, on CBS at 10 p.m.. Past episodes available for streaming on Paramount-plus, or click here.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the  blog Views From the Edge.

2 Filipino Americans killed in Pearl Harbor shooting

Shipyard employees Vincent J. Kapoi, Jr, left, and Roldan A. Agustin were fatally shot at Pearl Harbor.

It took only 23 seconds for a US Navy sailor to fatally shoot two shipyard workers and then turn his weapon on himself.

The two Department of Defense civilian employees, Roldan A. Agustin and Vincent J. Kapoi, Jr., both of Filipino heritage, were killed by machinist's mate Gabriel Romero, 22, officials said.

A third victim was wounded and remains hospitalized. His injury is not life-threatening. 

Authorities believe Romero opened fire Thursday (Dec. 5) at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard near Honolulu. He used his service rifle to shoot the victims, then killed himself with his service pistol, an official said.

"The incident happened in 23 seconds," said Norm Dominesey, NCIS special agent-in-charge at a press conference on Friday.

Romero was armed and standing guard near the USS Columbia, the submarine to which he was assigned, when he fired upon the workers. It is not known if he knew his victims. A motive has not been identified. Romero was reportedly undergoing counseling for anger issues and was facing disciplinary hearings for undisclosed misconduct.

US NAVY FILE PHOTO

The USS Columbia submarine was at Pearl Harbor for routine maintenance.

The motive, if any, is unknown. Authorities said there was nothing to indicate the shooting was an act domestic terrorism. 

As the investigation continues, the families of Agustin , 49, and Kapoi, 30, described them as family men.

Kapoi was identified by his family on Thursday, with his wife Tara confirming his death to the Associated Press. According to Facebook posts, the pair married earlier this year.
A funeral for Vincent Kapoi is planned for Dec. 15 at 3 p.m. at the Kapalama School Chapel at Kamehameha Schools, where he graduated, relatives said.

"What we do have to do, and must do, is honor his memory, keep him alive in our hearts and please keep him in your hearts and always remember good times," his sister said as she fought back tears. "May we ask for your respect and space in our time of grieving."

Kapoi leaves behind a wife and other relatives, according a fundraising website launched by his relatives to pay for his funeral.

He grew up in Waianae on the island of Oahu and came from a family of shipyard workers, according to Hawaii News Now.

He was proud of his Native Hawaiian and Filipino heritage and graduated from the University of San Francisco in 2011, his college roommate Daniel Vu told Honolulu Civil Beat.

"He was very giving, very generous, and willing to sacrifice a lot," said Vu, describing how Kapoi would wake up at 3 a.m. to work on the docks to pay for his college tuition.

His sister Theona described her brother as "that easy going, fun loving, 'let’s do this' man," in a statement read to media on behalf of the family.

"On the 4th of December, our lives changed forever," she told media. "The loss of a son, uncle, friend, husband and brother, my brother Vincent."

Agustin was born in Laoag City, Philippines, and moved to Hawaii when he was 2, according to his mother, Ida Agustin.

“He’s a good man,” she told the Associated Press through tears.

“I’m so sorry, anak ko; I’m still shaking,” she added Friday, using the phrase “my child” in Ilocano, a Filipino dialect.

Family members said Agustin served in the Navy and retired from the Army National Guard, then became a metals inspector at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.

In a statement, his brother said Agustin enjoyed working on cars with his friends and spending time with family.

"He was a loving son, brother, uncle and friend to many," the Agustin family said.

Funeral arrangements for Agustin were not known as of Saturday.

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