<Begin Segment 16>

MA: Is there anything else you would like to share? Any thoughts or about anything that we've talked about?

JH: Well, I guess just to connect it down to this conference; I think this is what it's all about. When I started working for the Museum, it just, some ways, the Japanese American community really needs the Museum because as a nonprofit, I'm having similar sorts of problems as I did in education. The people in control of the nonprofits, because nonprofits have to raise money to do whatever they're doing, basically are rich people. [Laughs] So I've had my problems at the Museum on this.

MA: What types of problems?

JH: Well, you know, there was an internationally known lawyer on the board, and he wrote a, he wrote a position paper to the Board of Trustees that we had to sing a little bit more of an assimilationist tune if we want to get money from rich American corporations. And that made me angry, and so I wrote a rebuttal, but I thought I did it diplomatically. I said, "If we did that, what's the use of having the Japanese American National Museum? Why don't we just hire the Smithsonian to do it for us?" And I gave all the arguments, my perspectives and points of view and things like that. Well, I never saw the lawyer again in another board meeting. So I wrote an apologetic letter to Irene saying, well, "Since I can't do your job," which is to keep the Museum going, I says, "I'm just going to give you my advice. And if you don't take it because of your needs, I'm not going to complain to you anymore." [Laughs] You know, Irene is a fantastic director, and I could, I can't talk to rich people like she does. [Laughs] So anyway...

MA: But it's interesting that you drew the parallel between the nonprofit world and your experience with the Museum, and then at San Francisco State and Ethnic Studies, and the importance of trying to push, you know, what you think is important.

JH: Well, I think essentially, the whole government runs this way, with money making a big difference.

MA: So then how do we, as younger generations, like my generation, how do we continue to fight within these structures?

JH: To understand these kinds of structures, and then, you know, all this growing gap between the haves and have-nots, people around the world are starving, you know. And gee, as intelligent human beings, can't we do better? And then the question is, what are you people going to do, your generation? You inherited this big mess, and you have to make it right. And so, again, this is why I think it's important that we have conferences like this, to understand the process. And the question is, what to do? Particularly in the future, in the context of being different. But learn from our mistakes, and don't repeat those mistakes. But I'm hoping for a better world for everybody, and it begins at home.

MA: I think that's a great place to end, that message. So this has just been a wonderful interview. So thank you so much for your time, I appreciate it.

<End Segment 16> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.