Hung Wai Ching

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Name Hung Wai Ching
Born August 1 1905
Died February 9 2002
Birth Location Honolulu, Hawai'i

YMCA secretary, businessman, and wartime community leader. Second generation Chinese American Hung Wai Ching (1905–2002) was one of the most influential proponents of Japanese American loyalty during World War II. The prewar secretary of the Nuuanu and Atherton YMCAs, Ching was named to the Morale Section , a race relations body, during the war. In that capacity, he counseled Nisei on their response to racism, advocating for the formation of the Varsity Victory Volunteers and 442nd Regimental Combat Team . He became a successful businessman after the war, co-founding Aloha Airlines with his brother Hung Wo.

For More Information

Coffman, Tom. The Island Edge of America: A Political History of Hawai'i . Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2003.

Odo, Franklin S. No Sword to Bury: Japanese Americans in Hawai'i during World War II . Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2003.

The First Battle: The Battle for Equality in War-Time Hawaii . Documentary film written, produced and directed by Tom Coffman, 2006. 56 minutes. See also the website for the film, which includes an interview with Ching,

Tsukiyama, Ted. "Hung Wai Ching" on Japanese American Veterans Association website

Last updated Dec. 15, 2023, 11:45 p.m..