<Begin Segment 43>

AI: Well, let's see, then we're kind of coming up more to the present and we had just talked earlier about some of the redress work that Art had been involved in trying to get redress and also trying to educate the public.

BS: Yes.

AI: And I wanted to ask you just, show this and explain a little bit.

BS: Oh, this was, this was after the lawsuit was filed, the class-action Mochizuki lawsuit. And a group of us went to lobby, lobby at the congressional people. And so that was my first experience. Art had gone several times prior to that, but it was the first experience for me to, to go there and to... actually it was the first, I guess it was the second time we went to Washington, D.C. but it was quite an experience.

AI: Tell me about that. Some of your impressions when you went there to talk to some of the congresspeople.

BS: Well, we had little groups that we were assigned to go different places and there was mainly one person who would be a spokesperson. It would usually be a Peruvian, one of 'em would be a Peruvian. And I can't remember who I went with. I think I went with one of the attorneys, the group that I went with was with the attorney. So since there wasn't actually a Peruvian in our group, sometimes I spoke up and told Art's, Art's story. And then, and then Art's sister, Rosie, is in one of those pictures and she was, sister Fusa was eleven years old and so she must have been nine, I think, when she went to camp. And she, she gets very emotional and she said that she would go with the lobbying group but she didn't want to have to speak. Well, the group that she went with was the, Robin Toma was in that group. And he says, "No, you don't have to speak." Well, I forgot what, was it Moynihan's office that they went to? And I guess, well, Robin Toma was speaking and I guess they wanted Rosie. So Rosie had to tell about her experience and she just broke down crying. And it really moved them, really moved the senator. And so it was pretty good.

AI: So that was a difficult experience for her.

BS: Yes.

AI: But it had a positive impact on the...

BS: Yes, yes, uh-huh. We took, we had letters that we had people sign, individuals who had signed and that would be like an introduction to go to that senator or congressman's office.

AI: So as you were going around visiting in these offices, what kind of a sense did you have? Did you have a sense that they really were listening to you or that, that there was a chance that you could persuade them to support?

BS: Well, some people would just, just took it and they really didn't ask many questions or anything. But well, I figure, well, they heard our story and hopefully they would carry the ball from there.

AI: Well, I know that as you've been very active with Art and his side of the family and the Peruvians' Campaign for Justice, but you also have stayed in touch with your friends and colleagues from Chicago. And so I wanted to ask you about this picture.

BS: Oh, this is Chicago. We attended a Chicago, well we call it All Club's reunion because when we were teenagers going to high school and they'd, like I mentioned that they had the, men had the basketball teams and the girls had the clubs for dancing and socializing. And so they have a reunion about every year and a half. And usually it's in Las Vegas. And so this was, I forgot when I said it was, about 2000, did I say it was like, 2000? And these are some of the people who attended Wells High School, the high school we went to. And some of the members here are, was in the same club as I was. And so, at that, at that reunion I was able to get up and tell about Art's ongoing struggle and I was able to get letters, get the letters and have them, encourage then to sign them. And everybody was very supportive. So I had a batch of letters that were signed and we were able to send to Washington.

AI: That's great. That's great to hear.

<End Segment 43> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.