<Begin Segment 49>

AI: Well, you know, I'm wondering... this period when the suit had begun, in the meantime, in 1993, was it, you were interviewed by your, the oral history group, the Florin Chapter oral history group and at that time, I think, I have a quotation from that interview. And you were saying... oh, I'm sorry, this was 1991, before the suit actually started, 1991. "I don't feel I have the energy to write to the Pacific Citizen, which is the Japanese American Citizens League paper, saying, 'Where are you, the rest of you 239 people? Let's start a class-action suit.' I guess that's one way, the legal way to do it. I'm just not that political of a person." And so, at that time, in '91, you weren't very hopeful, you weren't thinking that you would do it and you were saying that you weren't very political. But in fact, you did go ahead and do the suit.

MK: Well, it turned out to be that I was. And it was because of the encouragement, once I got the backing from Morrison and Foerster and the JACL, they came on board after. Well then, yes, and then I was more active, after retirement (...). And I retired in '88. So I had time there to spend more time on it. But every time I wrote to anybody, I mean, to Washington, D.C., you know, every piece, copy or whatever they send you, they charge you. And nobody else seemed to care. And it was discouraging.

AI: Well, then, when you got together with these other plaintiffs, and there were at least a small group of you, what was that like to get together with these folks who had a similar experience with you?

MK: Well, the truth was... I was disappointed because some people never even spoke a word. They were there just for the ride. But at least they were there. But there were maybe a couple others. There was, I think, a daughter who spoke for her father because he had just passed away after the '88 signing. So, she would have qualified. (...) We were not a very political group. And so this is why we needed the help from the Asian Law Caucus and the Morrison and Foerster. And truly, I'm not a political person. I mean, I'm, generally, up to now, (...) pretty much a follower. But I guess I'm one of the rabble rousers. [Laughs]

AI: Well, and you mentioned that your two younger brothers also joined in the suit.

MK: Yes, but not in such a vigorous way. And my brother, Bob, who is, has the head for it, of course, is in Missouri all by himself, and so he's kind of isolated. I kept feeding him with information, but he doesn't have the support group in the community, so it was difficult.

AI: Well, when the suit was finally settled, what was your feeling, what was your reaction to that?

MK: It was a sigh of relief, an appreciation really. Appreciation, because without the help I would have never, we would have never gotten where we were. Maybe in time, after I'm gone, but -- [laughs] -- but in many ways I thank my son, because he was the one who just couldn't understand why, because he had studied enough law and he was more interested in it and just couldn't understand why we couldn't move it along, but I know for sure the movement, lot of these governmental things, it takes time, it takes time. Maybe deliberately, but...

AI: Well, and then, finally, I think it was, that you did receive your redress.

MK: Uh-huh.

AI: That was when, 19...?

MK: '96. Three years after. And so it really put a closure on. And then too, I think, to see it while I'm alive and healthy, I think this was a mission accomplished. So I feel really good. But for the Peruvians, I hope they will succeed. Because I don't know in-depth what it all entailed. I've listened to many stories, but they were wrongly used, just like we were. So the government doesn't always reveal everything in true honesty.

AI: And here it was a situation of you minor children were being used --

MK: Right.

AI: -- even though you were American citizens.

MK: Right.

AI: You were being used --

MK: We were being used.

AI: -- as prisoner exchange.

MK: So, as our friends, many people will agree, education is the (solution). It's a matter of education that we have to educate individuals. The more (...) educated people we have, I think we have the strength (and tools). So we'll continue to do what we can, and (Densho's) certainly part of it. Thank you very much. (Narr. note: My two younger brothers, Bob and Richard, volunteered into the U.S. Army in occupied Japan, served in the Korean War prior to returning to Seattle, and were first denied then later received the redress as I did. My father and mother returned to the U.S. in 1957, managed to find jobs as housecook and housemaid, but, sadly, died prematurely at age 62 and 68. While a housemaid, Mother studied for her U.S. citizenship and became a proud U.S. citizen.)

AI: Well, thank you. Certainly appreciate it.

<End Segment 49> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.