<Begin Segment 38>

AI: And then, let's see, about this time in the early 1970s was also the time when, I think, some of the early redress activities were starting up. And I'm always interested to ask people, when you first heard about this idea of trying to get redress for being in camp, what did you think about it?

BS: Oh, I thought that would, it was a... overwhelming kind of a task to get the redress. But we didn't really get that involved in it.

AI: I know --

BS: But we were glad that someone was doing some work on it.

AI: Well, because I had heard that some people in the early days were not sure it was such a good idea. That possibly it would be, could possibly cause a backlash against --

BS: That's right, but we didn't really get involved in it and, but we were glad to see that somebody was working on it.

AI: And so then, let's see, I think it was 1981 that there were the hearings, the redress commission hearings happened. And at that, so then at that time, of course, there was quite a bit more publicity about the fact that the Japanese Americans had been forced into the camps in World War II and things were much more public, public information. So, then at some point, did you then apply for your redress? How did that, how did that happen?

BS: Well, it was signed in, Reagan signed it in 1988. And this, the day it was signed, which was August 10, 1988, I was on the airplane going to Chicago to help take care of my dad because my sister, my oldest sister was going on vacation and so she wanted someone to be there for my parents. So I went to Chicago and my dad was so happy. He says, "Reagan finally did it." He says you know, he says, he says, his faith in the U.S. government was, he believed that justice would prevail, and he believed in the U.S. government and that. So he was, he was so happy. And the thing is, he died the following month, in September, the beginning of September. But he was alive when it was signed, so he did get... my mother got his redress.

AI: That's amazing that he had that faith in the United States government.

BS: Yes, he did.

AI: And it's wonderful that he lived to see that.

BS: Yes, that was, we were so happy that he was able to see it, to see it.

AI: That it was signed into law.

BS: Uh-huh.

AI: Well, what about you, when you finally received you letter and your check, what was your reaction?

BS: Well, I can't remember when I got mine. I think, I must have got mine like in '90, '90... I don't know when they started paying it. But --

AI: 1990 for the oldest.

BS: Okay, so then I must've gotten mine around '93. I was one of the younger ones '93, '93 or '94. But then I was glad to receive it but I felt that Art and his family deserved it. Because actually, they suffered more than we did. And I, and so he was still appealing and that. And so I was upset that he, he didn't get it.

<End Segment 38> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.