ABOUT THE PROJECT

LOGLINE
When Yoshi Kubo is evicted from his California farm under the WWII Japanese exclusion order and confined in a bleak internment camp, he takes an unconventional stand against oppression.

SYNOPSIS
Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, birthright American citizen Yoshi Kubo and his family are forcibly evicted from their farm with little notice under the Japanese exclusion order, and evacuated to a bleak internment camp in Colorado. Only through collaboration with an unexpected ally can Yoshi hold out hope that his land and livelihood are not lost to him forever.

Months later, internees are forced to choose between military conscription and imprisonment. Concerned for his family’s welfare if he were conscripted and bitter about being stripped of his land, Yoshi refuses to acquiesce to combat duty, arguing that as a farmer, he could best serve the war effort farming under an agricultural deferment, like his white neighbors back home. This courageous stand results in his incarceration in federal prison near Tucson, where he becomes one of a famous group of conscientious objectors known as The Tucsonians. In his letters, Yoshi reveals he lives by the maxim “row, don’t drift,” choosing the path he feels is right, even though it is a harder one, and even if he has to walk it alone.

Ultimately, Yoshi returns home and discovers that all is not lost—the neighbors to whom he entrusted his property have been stalwart caretakers, and Yoshi’s family, emotionally scarred but unbroken, triumphantly thrive and grow upon their land to this very day. Using interviews, archival materials and reenactments, ROW DON’T DRIFT: AN AMERICAN LEGACY unveils an intimate yet sweeping tale about a grave injustice committed against innocent, industrious people; an act of cooperation and friendship between cultures that preserved a family’s home and livelihood; and how one brave man stood up for his principles in the face of intolerance and community pressure. Through persecution and perseverance to triumph, his story has echoes that reverberate to the present day.

PROJECT TYPE Documentary Feature

DIRECTOR Karina Ezitis
SCREENWRITER Craig Colvin, Isaac Rowland
PRODUCER Karina Ezitis, Craig Colvin, Amanda Erlanson

WEBSITE Instagram Page

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