Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Kara Kondo Interview
Narrator: Kara Kondo
Interviewers: Alice Ito (primary), Gail Nomura (secondary)
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: December 7 & 8, 2002
Densho ID: denshovh-kkara-01-0050

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AI: Well, I wonder if we should --

KK: But, you were talking about redress, weren't you? Something that might lead to the redress movement.

AI: Yes, right

KK: And the involvement of the valley people --

AI: Yes.

KK: -- in the redress movement. I think Gail asked me this morning, "How did, how did you become involved with it?" Those of us who subscribed to the Pacific Citizen, and many of the families do. Not that they're members of JACL, or anything. But then they keep in tab of the Japanese American activities nationwide, usually. And at that time, in the '70s, there was various proposals for redress, and whether it was through the courts or through some other systems. And when they finally decide on legislation, then we realized, with my League background, I realized it was time to pressure our, our elected legislators to support this movement. And, and we did, we had a petition movement to, for our Sid Morrison, who was the representative at that time and convinced him. And, that he should support the movement. And then, on the state level, I had tried to... they had a resolution in support of the redress and our, from coming from a very conservative area, I had talked to several. And, and some of them did support it. And then Alex Deccio, who was our senator, I thought was (supportive). Then I learned that he did not vote for it. So I said, "Alex, you know, this, you could have been in my place, because your family is Italian." And he was very sheepish, very nice to me. [Laughs] But he didn't vote for it. But, but I had to point out to him that under the circumstances, he's lucky that he wasn't, he didn't go into camp. But these are the kinds of movements that you learn about through the League. I did. Others may do it through some other source. But --

AI: Well, you, you said it so quickly that it, it made it appear almost easy. But it must have been quite an effort to get -- especially your congressperson, Mr. Morrison -- to get his support. That there, you must have had many activities that led up to that.

KK: Well, we, we had... so many things have occurred that sort of colors it, but because of our location, and that went clear down to the, to Columbia River to the south. And some of our relatives, residents here lived in Dallesport, and we had a gathering at one time where we invited the people to come and then sign the petition. And so it would point out to, to Senator -- or Representative Morrison the range, the wide range of people that were affected from, and, and he was friendly with the Japanese community, anyway, so he was open to this kind of pressure, if it was pressure. And --

<End Segment 50> - Copyright © 2002 Densho. All Rights Reserved.