<Begin Segment 55>

TI: I mean, eighteen years to, to write this book. When you, when you think about your readers, what do you hope that they get from reading your book?

TA: Well, as I did my research, and as I was writing, I says, "Well, gee, this is, this is more important than just a legacy for my, my children. I says, this is information that needs to be known, because, because much of it, again, through my research, I didn't know. I said, "Well, I should share this with people," and also the fact that this abuse, looking at the Patriot Act, for example, and the treatment that they're, that the Muslims are getting. If they look like, if they have a turban on their head, they're, they're treated as if they're a terrorist, and they interrogate 'em and, and do all this stuff. And it's, seem to be a repeat of the things that we went through. Guilty by association, or guilty by looks, by race. And so I says, you know, this, this is a message that has to be told to the public. And also, again, going back to my father, I remembered my father said, "You know, you have to tell the people about what's going on here." So as a result, I said, this is a bigger project than I thought it was. And I guess this is the reason I'm here, is to tell the story that needs to be heard, not only by you people, but, but the American public. And hopefully it'll reach the American public, they'll realize that, that things are like this, history is repeating itself, that these citizens -- you know, the government is as good as the citizen. And the citizen have to be aware, the citizen have to be cautious, and make sure that, that the government, the elected government officials or bureaucrats, or the military, do not abuse the rights of citizenship. American.

TI: Well, after having read the book, I think you do an excellent job of telling that story.

TA: Well, thank you very much.

<End Segment 55> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.