<Begin Segment 26>

TI: And I just wanted to finish this, because there were two things you wanted to talk about.

HN: That's right.

TI: And so let's talk about those things now. It's like you mentioned earlier, a very Buddhistic thing, we had to set the table. We had to talk about your life before I wanted to talk about this. So now, let's talk about the things you wanted to talk about.

HN: This is a story about my two most important decisions I made. It's a story about my struggle that resulted in making my two most important decisions. And that story of my decisions, unexpectedly, resulted in my book. Because I'm not a writer, I hate to write. That's the worst subject, English composition, literature is my worst subject in all my years. No, I will never do that. But my important thing is the struggle, the two struggles I had in my life. Number one, dealing with internment, number one, internment. The issue, the crux of the issue about internment was 1981, September, when there was a three-day hearing, U.S. Commission, that was my first struggle. To testify or not, that was a very tough...

TI: Explain to me, why was that a difficult decision?

HN: I'll explain to you. Even though I was not interned, I was very, very... about the injustice of the internment, not only that, ignominy of the internment, the mental, physical, financial hardship, the suffering the Niseis went through. Very burdening, all that bitterness. In fact, I'll be honest, I was bitter about the internment. How could anyone be happy about internment? But anyway, I had to make a decision to testify or not. It was a very tough struggle. As a veteran, well, it would have made no difference whether I was a veteran or a non-veteran. But maybe more so as a veteran, I thought that we should take the leadership in testifying, the injustices suffered by our community. The physical, financial, mental suffering that we went through. I thought it was our duty, especially as a citizen, and more so as a veteran, that we should speak up. It was a duty, privilege. But guess what? Only four Nisei veterans spoke up, only four. After, after I talked to many of my comrades at the Nisei Vets Hall, we had a big discussion about this redress hearing at the community college, NVC Hall, we had a big discussion whether we should testify or not. And not everybody -- I'm not saying the whole membership -- but the leadership at that time said, used the main excuse that, "We're not interested in reparations, the money." And I told them I disagreed. It's not about the money, it's about the principle. I argued with them, that was one thing. But the important thing is I talked to some of my comrades about testifying, because I wanted, I wanted to testify, but I wanted company. I didn't want to be the only one. I wanted to testify. So I talked to about half a dozen of the guys, and their excuse was, "I wasn't at camp." And I told them the same thing, "I wasn't in camp either." I said, "Why don't you testify for your family?" No comment. No comment because they were under, they were under cultural restraint, enryo, "don't rock the boat." Don't stick your head up, you'll get pounded down. I think that was, we were also, we had a cultural syndrome to, we were confirmed with the cultural syndrome.

TI: So let me make sure I understand this. This is, I think, really important.

HN: To me, it's very important. This was my struggle.

TI: So there were some veterans who were reluctant during redress, these hearings...

HN: To testify.

TI: ..to testify.

HN: We had discussions, yes, but testify.

TI: And you're saying it's...

HN: Only four. Only four ended up testifying.

TI: And the real reason was, you think, cultural restraint from...

HN: My, that's my interpretation, that we were struggling with our cultural syndrome. Otherwise, I can't explain it.

TI: And so for you...

HN: As a veteran.

TI: Because you felt the same thing --

HN: I felt the same thing. That's why I wanted company. I didn't want to be -- see, I was held back by the cultural restraints. I didn't want to be the only head that, nail that sticks out there. I want to... that's why I was seeking company. But five or six or seven guys I talked to, their only excuse was, "I wasn't in camp." So when I told them that, "I wasn't in camp either," And then I said, "Why don't you testify for your family?" No comment. That made it very hard for me to testify.

TI: Right. And so what was the reaction after you testified, with the vets? Did anyone...

HN: The reaction was very different. After I testified, I was so happy. I was so glad I testified. I told you, it was one of the most important decisions I made. No regrets, I'm glad I did. After I testified, what a feeling. People complimented me, thanked me. Nisei vets, some of 'em, not all of 'em, and other people. But a few veterans thanked me because it was a very tough decision. It was a struggle. I'm glad. And the reflection, it's a shame that only four of us testified out of Washington State, Oregon, there might have been seven hundred, eight hundred. Out of that, only four testified: John Kanda, Joe Nakatsu, Bob Mizukami of Fife, who was the mayor of Fife, just only four. I'm glad I did, very proud. That was my first struggle.

<End Segment 26> - Copyright © 2009 Densho. All Rights Reserved.