<Begin Segment 22>
AI: Well, that leads me to kind of bring things up to the present, closer to the present, because, of course, one of the reasons that so many people did work for redress was because they wanted the government, the United States government and the public to have some greater awareness that rights had been taken away from people during World War II, and they didn't want this to happen again. But then, of course, September 11, 2001, with the terrorist attacks, then we very soon started seeing a backlash against anyone who was perceived to be Middle Eastern, or anyone who someone thought looked like "potential terrorists," whatever that means. And I was wondering, if you look back to September 11th...
EH: I certainly, it was emotional when the Muslims were raided here, when their shops were broken into, and it just made you wonder, "How could they, how could they do this? Don't they remember?" And then, and then I felt, "Gee, Japanese Americans need to speak up about it," because we could identify with what, what was happening. I think a lot of the parents had to take their kids out of school, because children were being harassed. And that's sad that we can't immediately acknowledge and remember that we can't abuse, we can't flaunt a person's identity, just because they look like... on my North Carolinian trip, I spoke to a rotary group, and I said, "Looking like an enemy doesn't make you an enemy. We need to remember that, because it could easily happen again, no matter what group." And the sad part is that we, we bounce on Mexican Americans just because in certain segments, they're labeled as sneaking into the country against our will. But when you think of the dire needs, and the fact that they're so desperate for work that they would do this, let's respect them and give them some protection; they're human beings. The number of people that die because they're searching for normalcy in life.
I think, on that score, the evacuation was a period in our life, but you think of the number of people that tolerate some kind of abuse all their life ought to make us feel, have an awareness of what abuse and unfairness in society, that we ought to be working to equalize opportunity. If it takes helping kids in school, or helping teachers cope with unruly kids, I think we ought to get to the bottom of what's causing this unruliness. I think we still have parents who don't know how to be good parents, and I think schools can't be blamed for poor scholars or the inability -- I mean, it isn't, I don't think we could hold the teachers responsible, because, if the kids aren't making the WASL tests or "no child left behind." I mean, the theme of "no child left behind" can't be held as a sole, the teachers' sole responsibility. I think we really have to help parents understand what academic work is, and sometimes it's a matter of helping parents become better students. And I think it's about time we say to these kids who are not finishing or... and as tough as some of these kids have it, that their, they need to be reminded that they're (going to) be parents, and how are they going to help their kids if they drop out of school, or if they're not able to continue in one way or another. Those are abuses that some people live with every day of their life. You think of the migrant workers, how, how do they manage to keep up, or even know what goes on in school, when they have to live the kind of life that they live?
There are so many issues in life that I think could be improved. Medical, medical problems, what that does to, to a family. Automobile accidents and what that does to a family. I think if we have to curtail and deprive some of the reckless driving, that maybe we need to do that. But something needs to be done to correct what's happening to a lot of young lives.
AI: Well, you were mentioning about how after, after September 11th, there were a number of schoolchildren who were harassed, and some of them were even afraid to go to school, I understand, partly because of the way they looked, or because the way they dressed. And I was wondering, I also had heard that, from some Japanese Americans, that they started having some flashbacks themselves, because it reminded them of after Pearl Harbor was bombed. What kind of things, did you experience any of that yourself?
EH: No, but I remember being a little self-conscious, not socializing as much, where I think I was maybe the kind of person that would speak to anybody sitting next to a bus or something. But we really became quite silent, a little self-conscious, but all in all, I don't think I experienced any negative... my mother was always afraid that, that that would happen, but, and then she went on about her insurance business with no fear. But I think it does, we need to be sensitive, that we have a responsibility because we went through some of that. I think sometimes teachers could also help people recognize... and maybe it's not fair to rely on teachers or say this, but after all, if it's your job to teach, then you must have some insight through reading or contact. These Rotarians that I spoke to, I could almost hear a couple of them saying, "(Yes), but how are you, how do you recognize? How do you know you're not an enemy if you look like an enemy?" The, the deep south, though North Carolina, North Carolinians don't really consider themselves "deep south," and, but my friend that I was staying with feels that this is a backward country, she thinks. [Laughs] And so, I don't mind speaking or explaining to anybody wherever I go.
When I went to the Elder Hostel, out of forty of them, maybe there were five or six Californians, consequently that knew about them, knew about the evacuation. And I don't know that they had intimate friends, but they certainly knew about it. But the rest of the people in the country, it was literally their first time meeting anybody that really went through that. And three or four people hadn't heard about it.
AI: Had not heard at all about Japanese Americans being incarcerated?
EH: Or they, they, "Oh, that's right, that was in a text somewhere," but they forgot about it, because it doesn't, it's not something that they run into more than once. And a lot of people can't believe that, "You really did go through that?" And so it's worth, it's worth talking about, and letting them know that it could happen, and it shouldn't happen. Not in this country. Lot of people take the attitude, "(Yes), but sometimes you can't avoid it." I think there are a lot of people who still are hung up on the Pearl Harbor issue, and cannot remove that. I forgot where I was, somebody said, "Your people," and I said, "Wait a minute. I'm an American." And they just can't get that through their heads, that there's a difference. That in this country, there is a difference. It may not happen in other countries...
AI: When you say, "in this country..."
EH: That we should not, that in this country, we are made up of a variety, we have a lot of ethnicity variations, we come from different cultures and backgrounds, but uphold the fact that in this country, no matter what, what your culture is, that we uphold certain constitutional rights, and legal rights, that the law still protects us. And just because we look different doesn't mean that you can sidestep legal issues. Just because you look different doesn't mean that you're guilty. And I think in a, in many times, I think that's one of the handicaps of blacks, and in some areas, farm areas, Chicanos don't get a fair chance just because they're identified, they're stereotyped. And it's too bad -- I think, I have to really credit teachers that will stand up and be counted, or be able to say things when the majority of teachers may not care, may not identify.
But I think, I think even in the Japanese community, we need to overcome stereotyping issues. I think, I think basically for a lot of Niseis certain yet, they don't really have a black friend that they could call a real friend, and feel free to discuss or even inquire. Sometimes it's a matter of really getting acquainted, that that's to them not so much an awkward thing, but they just don't consider. And I think you're losing an opportunity. And I think that Sanseis and Yonseis probably don't have that problem because we've changed to some extent, but I think that when we were with our parent group, I think it's still a problem. That's why I like to see organizations and churches particularly, integrated a bit more, just 'cause it's a social opportunity. And schools do that; that's where, where people are in schools and academic settings, I think you have more of an opportunity.
<End Segment 22> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.