<Begin Segment 4>

GK: Okay, we were gonna start talking about the 1981 commission hearings. And, so if you could tell me what your role was, and what NOC's role was.

SH: Well, NOC, as, same as NCRR in different areas, we decided that, although we had problems with when the decision for the commission bill came down -- we weren't necessarily in agreement, we had some problems with it -- we decided that, like Mia said that, it was gonna happen with us or without us. And we decided that it'd be better if it happened with us. There were some people who were saying, "Well, let's keep it small. Let's get a bunch of experts to testify." There were some people who even wanted to limit testimony to nine Japanese Americans. And I think it's interesting, because I think now we don't remember that exactly, but in those days I think people felt like, the specter of Japanese Americans testifying, demanding justice on our own behalf, that that was bizarre, you know what I mean? I think the whole stereotype of "quiet Americans" was so strong and so omnipresent that just the thought of ordinary Japanese Americans demanding redress was strange. So people kinda thought it would be self-serving. But we felt that only if ordinary people could get up there and really show how an action of the U.S. government impacted regular people... and only in that way could the American public relate to it and understand what a travesty it was.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.