Are you a World War II history buff? Or maybe want to do something educational while on Oahu besides soaking up the sun and enjoying the sights?  The Bishop Museum , one of the top Honolulu Oahu attractions, offers visitors a wonderful opportunity to reflect upon what it means to be an American and to fight for American democracy.

Fighting for Democracy: Who is the “We” in “We the People”? is an exhibition developed by the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. A 5-year, 10-city traveling version of the exhibition was created and is based on the lives, actions and decisions of a diverse group of people who sought equal rights for their families and communities during World War II.

 (Photo credit: Japanese American National Museum)

The exhibition begins by exploring communities across America prior to World War II and looking at the prejudice and injustice faced each day by women and minorities. Next, the lives of seven young men and women and the challenges they face before World War II are examined through their diaries and memories.

After the bombing of Oahu’s own Pearl Harbor, America was changed forever as it entered World War II. The exhibition continues to follow the seven young men and women as they are forced to make difficult choices about the future of their families and their country.

The exhibition then takes a look at the impact made by these seven young men and women in the War’s aftermath. Visitors will see how veterans returned home from service and found themselves fighting to expand the basic rights and freedoms of all Americans.

One of the seven young people profiled in the exhibition is Kauai’s own Domingo Los Banos, who was drafted by the military in 1944 at the age of 18 and was assigned to the U.S. Army’s 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment. The son of a Filipino immigrant, he and his siblings grew up in the multicultural mix of a Kauai pineapple plantation. Visitors will learn how his own experiences and the harshness of the war inspired him to dedicate his life to teaching tolerance.

The exhibition is currently on display at The Bishop Museum’s Castle Memorial Building and is scheduled to run through January 23, 2011.

The Bishop Museum is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day (except Tuesdays and Christmas Day). Admission to The Bishop Museum is free with the Honolulu Power Pass card.

About the Honolulu Power Pass:

Visit the Honolulu Power Pass official website for more detailed information on the  Honolulu Oahu pass  for sightseeing .

A complete  list of Honolulu attractions and tours  participating in the Honolulu, Oahu Power Pass is also available on the Oahu tourist pass site.