‘Imiloa to host Filipino lecture/film discussion

In conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibition, “I Want the Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story,” ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center will host Hawaii-born educator Domingo Los Baños for an inspiring presentation about the experience of Filipino troops in World War II.

The event is slated for 4 p.m. Thursday, April 17.

“An Untold Triumph,” the PBS documentary he helped produce, will also be shown. Born on Oahu in 1925 but raised in Kalaheo, Kauai, the son of Filipino immigrants, Los Baños studied at the University of Hawaii before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1944 during WWII.

While in the Army, Los Baños served as an infantryman with the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment, which was comprised almost entirely of Filipino-Americans. Los Baños vowed if he survived the war, he would teach the next generation about the importance of tolerance and understanding among the people of all nations.

Following his military discharge, Los Baños prepared himself to fulfill his pledge by earning a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Springfield College and a master’s degree in physical education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

During a distinguished career as a teacher, coach, principal and school superintendent in Hawaii, and thereafter, he kept his promise.

Participants also will be able to view the “I Want the Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story” exhibit during the event, which is on display until June 1 as part of a 13-city national tour.

The exhibit celebrates the Asian-Pacific American history across a multitude of diverse cultures and explores how Asian-Pacific Americans shaped — and were shaped by — the course of the nation’s history.

Admission is $10.

For more information, visit www.imiloahawaii.org.