<Begin Segment 18>

MA: So NCRR, like in comparison with JACL, you said had much more female involvement and leadership?

LN: I think so, yes.

MA: So NCRR, there was Nisei women involved as well?

LN: Yes.

MA: So I'm assuming Sansei women, but also Nisei?

LN: Yes. Because in the beginning, like I said, Niseis were, they didn't want to... even when we used to go out and protest, or we would march in Little Tokyo, they said, "No, no, no. That's out for me. Don't ask us to do that." And said, "No, don't feel like that. Because you'd be surprised, when you go up and down First Street, all those shop owners will just be cheering you on. Because they're happy to see Niseis out there. After all, you were the victims," you know, we were the victims of camp and everything. So we used to have to talk to them a lot to convince them that they should be out there. Because they were the ones that suffered most. So when they first went out, we used to march, they used to... oh, this is just, it was so hard for them. But after that, they completely changed. Said, "Hey, this is great." We just, I feel like they felt strong and they felt like we were asserting ourselves, letting the broader community know that we're not going to be just meek, intimidated, all that kind of thing. So people became very strong. It was something. It's just a growth, it developed.

MA: So what was driving you this whole time? I mean, you got involved because your son asked you to, but what was motivating you?

LN: Well, I tell you, that was the motivation. It's like the motivation was to get the Niseis out there. Because I'm a Sansei, but I'm really, by virtue of age, I should be a Nisei. So that was my motivation. I didn't want to get out there too much and make speeches and things like that. I didn't care about that. Mainly it was to get the Niseis out there, 'cause I wanted them to feel empowered. And it did happen. The sense of empowerment slowly took on, and it was something. Besides, I was also a... I used to belong to a left organization, too, "left organization," you know what that means.

MA: A leftist organization?

LN: Yeah.

MA: Which one?

LN: Which one was it now? [Laughs] Boy, I can't even remember the name.

MA: What were they fighting for? What was their stance?

LN: Oh, well, their stand was very good. And they were, yeah, 'cause there were several, there were several groups. But this group, we thought, was really good, because they were very involved in community. Not just... you know, I don't know how to explain it. It's been so long ago. But you know how some groups were just kind of like out there in left field. But no, this left group was... oh, gosh, I can't think of it. Maybe it'll come to me after a while. They were more involved in all these community activities like redress and reparations. They were very, they were working. They were really working in it. So people had a lot of respect for them.

<End Segment 18> - Copyright © 2009 Densho. All Rights Reserved.