{"id":2159,"date":"2026-06-26T17:08:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T17:08:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2159"},"modified":"2026-06-26T17:08:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T17:08:22","slug":"i-was-telling-your-story-emotive-film-moves-new-americans-judges-and-celebs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2159","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I was telling your story.\u2019 Emotive film moves new Americans, judges and celebs"},"content":{"rendered":"<article><!-- --><!-- --><!-- WPS-5038 -- removed the script from WPS and added the placeholder for trinity player --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- CONTENT --><!--[--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>When James Ishida\u2019s family first set foot on American soil, it would have been hard to imagine anything beyond saving pennies, let alone their story bringing an overflowing federal courtroom to tears.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2157\">\u2018It is indescribable.\u2019 South Carolina\u2019s newest US citizens reflect on journey<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy telling my family story, I was telling your story, the story of every immigrant who comes to the United States,\u201d Ishida, a circuit executive for the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, told 26 newly-minted American citizens, voice thick with emotion. \u201cIt\u2019s a story of sacrifice, it\u2019s a story of hard work, it\u2019s a story about dreams of a better future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Ishida and his son, Ian, stood side-by-side after a naturalization ceremony Thursday, when a video Ian Ishida produced about the family\u2019s own journey drew rapt attention from a packed courtroom, including a full bench of federal judges and University of South Carolina women\u2019s basketball coach Dawn Staley.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Staley was there to support a friend who had recently become a citizen, she told The State.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The court kept her attendance a secret to most until her arrival, which drew out gasps from the audience and a few giggly shrieks from the Irmo Elementary children\u2019s choir, who led an upbeat singing of \u201cMy Country \u2018tis of Thee.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the court did a really good job of bringing folks together,\u201d Ishida said. \u201cThey brought representatives from all over the community.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<div> <related-stories><\/related-stories><\/div>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Even though Ian Ishida decided young he never wanted to be an attorney \u2013 he now works in IT for Maryland\u2019s district court \u2013 he appreciated the opportunity to get a glimpse into his father\u2019s work.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think his whole career he\u2019s wanted to share this part of the work with me, and now I kind of understand,\u201d Ian Ishida said. \u201cIt\u2019s half-cool because we get to share our story, half-cool because we get to share it with the new citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2155\">Richland Sheriff arrests man in connection with early-morning murder in northeast<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The video, produced with the aid of AI software, depicted each generation of the family since their immigration from Hiroshima, Japan, to Hawaii in 1894. Old family photos seemed to come to life to address the audience, using a script Ian Ishida created by digging through public records, family albums and genealogy charts.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The family\u2019s history was not always an easy one, much of it colored by back-breaking work on Kauai\u2019s sugar plantations for little pay. And, for however much the family loved the United States, the country didn\u2019t always show that same love in return.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>From a Japanese-American internment camp, James Ishida\u2019s great uncle, Shiro Togo, volunteered to prove his loyalty in World War II, losing his life in the push to liberate France.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s so funny because that video \u2026 we\u2019ve watched it dozens of times by this point,\u201d Ian Ishida said of his reaction to seeing a photo of Togo\u2019s gravestone. \u201cStill, seeing it now, that\u2019s emotional.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Still, James Ishida said the ceremony renewed his appreciation for being an American.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s almost like seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re seeing the country through the eyes of new citizens, and it gives you a fresh appreciation for what life is like for all Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2154\">A growing new shopping center near Columbia is getting a national sandwich shop<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--]--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>James Ishida moved a packed Columbia courtroom as he shared his family\u2019s immigration story during a naturalization ceremony attended by new citizens<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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