Paul Bannai Interview II Segment 19
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Densho
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SEGMENT ID
ddr-densho-1000-150-19 (Legacy UID: denshovh-bpaul-02-0019)
SEGMENT DESCRIPTION
Memories of the redress hearings
00:07:05 — Segment 19 of 25
PARENT COLLECTION
Densho Visual History Collection
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Densho
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Densho
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INTERVIEW ID
ddr-densho-1000-150
NARRATOR
INTERVIEW TITLE
Paul Bannai Interview II
02:34:58 — 25 segments
DATE
December 29, 2000
LOCATION
Seattle, Washington
DESCRIPTION
Nisei male. Born July 4, 1920 in Delta, Colorado. Grew up in small mining and farming towns in Colorado, Utah and Arizona, until his family moved to Boyle Heights in the Los Angeles, California area. After graduating from high school, he tested discrimination and employment practices and eventually succeeded in obtaining a job at a bank. During World War II, his family was held in Manzanar concentration camp, California. Mr. Bannai joined the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and was later transferred to the U.S. Military Intelligence Service. He served in New Guinea and elsewhere overseas, was an interpreter for the Allied Translator and Interpreter Service (ATIS), and interpreted at the surrender of Japanese forces at ceremonies in Indonesia. Married and eventually resettled in Gardena, California, where he worked in the floral industry before founding the Bannai Realty and Insurance Company. An extremely active community and civic volunteer, Mr. Bannai joined the Elks Club as well as many veterans' and other organizations. He was elected to the Gardena city council in 1972, and in 1973 was elected to the California State Legislature. In 1980, Mr. Bannai became the executive director of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC). In 1981, he was appointed chief director of the Memorial Affairs Department of the Veterans Administration by President Ronald Reagan.
PRODUCTION
Alice Ito, interviewer; Dana Hoshide, videographer
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FACILITY
PERSONS/ORGANIZATIONS
CONTRIBUTOR
Densho
PREFERRED CITATION
Courtesy of Densho
RIGHTS
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.