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TI: Okay, let's move on now to more recent times. I want to ask you, what were you doing when you got involved in the redress?

HK: Right, this is 1980. Ventura JACL chapter was dormant for seventeen years, and I felt that we needed, we needed an active JACL. So my wife and I reactivated the JACL. Before that, however, I was coming to the San Fernando Valley JACL. But I was just... they had great programs, but that's all I went. I didn't hold any offices because the valley is about sixty miles from where I live. So that's how I started. And then I attended a convention -- Gardena convention in 1982. And that's what really opened my eyes to what was going on. And then Min Yasui -- and I consider Min Yasui "Father of Redress," but maybe I should say 'my father redress,' because of the other fathers. But he came -- and you know Min Yasui, he was the one that defied the curfew -- so he came and he came to Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara installation dinner. I think that was in 1983 or '82, I can't remember. But anyhow, there was not a single dry eye, you know. He related his experience in his pursuit for redress and there was not a single dry eye.

TI: And so for you --

HK: And so that was it, that was it, plus the fact that I believe I always had a latent anger that people like President Roosevelt and other people of power can do these things and they can get away with it. So that's when it really gelled, and that's when everything came out, you know, which was there. That would make me... gosh, 1930 to 19' -- I really got involved in JACL about 50 something, '52, '53. So I was rather an oldster. But that did it.

TI: So that was a real defining moment for you?

HK: No question in my mind. I was so... I heard him speak about all his experiences and I knew I had to help Min. To get involved in redress and do whatever I could.

<End Segment 5> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.