<Begin Segment 10>

TI: So Catherine, we're at an hour, so we're coming to the end of the interview, but I just want to acknowledge you and thank you, 'cause I read the book and it's clear to me that you were in the camps and you helped a lot of Japanese Americans during a very difficult time for many of them. I mean, not only were you there to help teach them, but then you helped find them places outside the camps using your friends and your family to reach out and get them in colleges and jobs at, again, a time when a lot of people wouldn't have done that. And that's why I wanted to be here to meet you and to talk to you, because it is a very honorable thing that you did, so thank you.

CH: Well, I, even at the time I guess I was conscious that I was behaving differently from some American citizens, but I didn't impress that myself that much, but just that it was part of my background.

TI: And so what was it about your background that had you look at these things a little bit differently than most Americans?

CH: Well, I don't really know. I think it was to a large extent just the facts, that they were there, I was there, and it just fell into place without deliberate, oh, I must behave this way or anything like that. I just was there. This isn't a very satisfactory answer. [Laughs]

TI: No, I think that's a very good answer, because you were there and they were there and you knew each other. You were face to face, so you knew, as you said, the facts. It wasn't based on what other people were saying or what other people were writing. It was that personal face to face understanding, or what you say, the facts, is I think what you're saying. I mean, that, that's, I think, a great answer. I think, when I think about why we do these interviews, it's so that people can see the people and in some ways get the facts from the people who lived the experience, rather than, again, just reading about it or just hearing about it. We think it's important to actually talk with the people who were there. And so this is why we wanted to spend some time with you and, and this was, you did really well. This is, I know it's hard to remember these things 'cause they happened so long ago.

CH: Yes, you should've start, started working on this several decades ago. It would've come easier. [Laughs]

TI: Well fortunately, you, you wrote a book about this and this was published in 1999, so about twelve years ago was when this book came out, and so it's an excellent book and I think a lot of people have read this and we covered lots of the things that were written in the book. So I think, so I think we did a good job here.

CH: From your point of view I would think you'd find that very frustrating to try and get factual information, clear and so on.

TI: No, no, this was fine. Is there anything else you want to say on the record? I mean, we're here, we have a camera. Is there anything else that you'd like to say?

CH: Like what?

TI: Oh, when you think about maybe, and I'm not sure how much you follow current events in terms of our country, and how when I read the paper sometimes or listen to the news sometimes I hear a lot of fear and hate in our world today and how some of the things that happened to Japanese Americans seventy years ago, I worry that they're happening again today, that it's easy for Americans to, when they get afraid, target certain groups, examples being maybe Muslims today or Arab Americans. I was wondering if you had any thoughts about that, if you've been following that or have any, any thoughts?

CH: Could probably happen. That, people's behavior and attitudes can change from year to year, but I wouldn't guess. I'm surprised you'd be able to find anything like facts from the past, but you're trying. Wish you luck.

TI: Well do you think our country, the United States is getting better or worse at kind of these race relationships? Your father did work with African Americans very early, your brother did lots of work with Asia, and so you've lived a long life and you've seen a lot happen. How would you, how do you think about the United States and changes that's been made?

CH: Well, I think it improves some way, goes backward some ways. I'm not sure it's really changed a whole lot. There's still prejudice in different settings. I guess I'm really not sure whether we're improving. I think we could use some improving if we put our minds to it, but I don't think we're about to.

TI: How about Hawaii, Honolulu? You were here as a child and now many years later you're here again. How has Honolulu changed?

CH: Well, I think Honolulu's, compared to other states, in pretty good condition, racially speaking and in attitude. Whether it could use a lot more improvement I'm not sure. You can always improve somewhat more, but I really, but I think Hawaii is fairly lucky in its race relations and acceptance of the rest of the world, but I'm maybe I'm seeing a golden reflection that isn't there. I must say, I'm not putting my mind to it much these days.

TI: Okay, good. Well that's, I think that's all my questions and, and this was, this was helpful, so thank you for, again, taking the time to do this.

CH: Well I'm sorry I couldn't come up with more facts, but memory is a very limited item.

TI: Yeah. It must be sometimes difficult to realize that at one point you had all these things in your memory and not being able to talk about them, remember.

CH: Yeah. Some people have better memories than other people and that can't be changed. So it goes.

TI: Okay, very good. Well thank you again, for...

CH: You're quite welcome. I wish I could've been more helpful, but that's life.

TI: No, this was, this was good.

<End Segment 10> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.