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TI: And so you said you really got involved, threw yourselves into primarily JACL activities. Why don't you talk a little bit more about your progressions through the JACL at this point.

HK: In 1980, 1982, I attended the convention in Gardena -- national convention. And at that time I became the Pacific Southwest District Fundraising Chair. And then I became a Governor, Pacific Southwest district, two years afterwards. And that would make it 1986, I believe. And then simultaneously I became LEC -- that's Legislative Education Committee -- fundraising chair in 19-, 1985, or something like that. And then I became national president in 1986. So it was kind of, I was kind of a latecomer.

TI: But it sounds like your progression was really accelerated...

HK: Condensed.

TI: ...condensed, especially with and through the fundraising efforts.

HK: Yes. And that was the reason that... tou know, is that, there was a money shortage. And in particular there was some dissentions, because we were on a pledge program before I got involved. And Pacific Southwest District was a district that had a lot of ideas, but if you go back to the convention I remember very vividly hearing from other districts that, you know, we're doing a lot of talkin' -- that is, we're offering amendments and motions and so forth -- but you really are in arrears, 'cause we hadn't met our pledge. And actually in 1982, we go back to the minutes, John Tateishi, he was our redress director, and he's saying, you know, he's going to have to close shop because we only had about $20,000 left, the budget was over $300,000. And the pledge, we only raised a $100,000. And he had told his people that if we don't come up with any money somehow that we're going to have to close shop. And he told his workers -- and these people are here today, Carole Hayashino and John Tateishi.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.