<Begin Segment 13>

TI: Okay, so where we are is on, sort of, December 8th when you were just waiting. Your husband had been called down to the, the FBI office the night of December 7th...

BI: Not to the FBI office.

TI: Or to his office.

BI: Uh-huh.

TI: Okay, so the FBI met him at his office.

BI: Right, uh-huh.

TI: Okay, and then, and then furthermore, a couple FBI agents came to your house and searched, and then you waited all night and worried about where your husband was. And I'm curious, so your husband was a lawyer for the Japanese community. What, what organizations did your husband belong to during this time?

BI: The only ones I know is the Japanese American Citizens League and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce.

TI: So let's start with the JACL, the Japanese American Citizens League. What role was, did your husband play with the JACL?

BI: Well, I think he was president at one time, I'm not sure if he was president at that time. And I remember going to a meeting with him where he spoke. That's about all I remember of his involvement with JACL. (Narr. note: He was President of the Seattle Chapter of JACL at the time of his arrest. He was succeeded by Clarence Arai.)

TI: What can you tell me, the JACL, or what type of organization the Japanese American Citizens League was. Can you tell me what, what they did?

BI: I'm not really sure, but I thought they were to help the Japanese citizens, to help them integrate into the American community. That was my understanding of what it was, was for.

TI: So it was a organization for citizens, U.S. citizens, so it'd be the second generation, sort of set up, organized by Niseis, or second generations.

BI: Right, uh-huh.

TI: And the JACL was a relatively young organization at that time.

BI: Oh, yes, uh-huh.

TI: And so some of the, the early leaders and founders of the organization were, I believe, still in Seattle at that time. People like Jimmy Sakamoto, Clarence Arai. So did your husband know these, these individuals?

BI: Oh, yes, uh-huh. Yes.

TI: And so he, it was, it was common for him to meet with them, talk with them?

BI: Uh-huh.

TI: And do you recall him talking at all about these men and what their dream was for the JACL?

BI: Not really, no.

TI: Okay, well, and the other organization you mentioned was the Japanese Chamber of Commerce?

BI: Uh-huh.

TI: And do you recall what role Ken played with them?

BI: Well, I think he was helping them with business problems, and that's about all I know.

TI: Now, both those organizations in the community, the Seattle community, they were both pretty prominent organizations.

BI: Yes, uh-huh.

TI: And your husband was with both of them. Do you think that may have been the reason why the FBI sort of targeted your husband? His involvement with these organizations?

BI: I'm not sure. I thought it was probably because he was speaking, you know, he was making a lot of speeches sponsored by service clubs and different organizations. That was the reason I thought he was...

BI: So you think probably the FBI or the government had been sort of tracking people in the community, what they were saying, what they were doing, and your husband was one some list.

BI: Right, uh-huh.

TI: And was, and that's why he was picked up the night of December 7th.

BI: Right, uh-huh.

TI: So going back to the JACL, so there were people like Jimmy Sakamoto, Clarence Arai, and other leaders, Nisei leaders. During this period when your husband was, was picked up by the FBI, that's a little unusual because from my research, almost all the pickups were of Japanese nationals, of Isseis.

BI: Right, right.

TI: And your husband was a U.S. citizen.

BI: Right, uh-huh.

TI: Was there any protest or anything to, to the fact that because he was a U.S. citizen, he shouldn't be treated this way?

BI: Not at all, no.

TI: And so did, did people from the JACL or the Japanese Chamber of Commerce ever contact you in terms of what they could do to help?

BI: Nobody did. (Narr. note: Ken told me to go see Clarence Arai, so I went with my sister Amy to see him. He just ignored me. I said, "Ken wanted me to see you," but he just went about his business. I also went with Amy to see James Sakamoto, but he brushed us off.)

<End Segment 13> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.