<Begin Segment 22>

AI: Well, speaking of younger generations, I wanted to take you to the, the era of the redress for Japanese Americans, era. And that was a time when some of the Sansei as well as Nisei were thinking about this idea of having some kind of apology or compensation for the World War II camp experience and being forced to leave your homes.

MH: Uh-huh.

AI: I was wondering, when you first heard about this, what did you think?

MH: Well, it came upon us so quickly that I can't remember too much. We don't have an active Nisei group in the city of Madison. We're all involved in our respective (fields), and so my real touch with the Nisei world is through the Pacific Citizen. I try to keep in touch, which is kind of too bad, but we've accepted it. And I used my $20,000 for putting in an Echo organ at our church, so we have a wonderful organ. I donated it in memory of my parents. So that's where my reparation money went. [Laughs]

AI: Well, and when you actually received this in the mail and you saw the apology --

MH: Oh.

AI: -- signed by the President, what was your reaction?

MH: Oh, I was kind of stunned. I said, "By golly, I've never had a check that amount." [Laughs] And so, so I just thought, "Oh, this money is very special. It should be used in some (special way)." So I used it as a memorial to both my parents and Iwao's parents. It went toward this Echo organ that sits on the back. Oh, when you play it, the two organs playing back and forth, it's thrilling. It's really thrilling. I thought it would leave a... fond memories of our sad experience.

<End Segment 22> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.