<Begin Segment 41>

LH: Well you know, if you could describe the, the Japanese American community on Bainbridge now, today. And living through their experience going to camp. Now, what kind of shape do you think it's in? Do you think it's. How is it doing?

FK: Oh, gosh. I think there's a lot to be done as far as... and I'm glad you guys are doing this because I think this is really helping. But, when you talk about, like all their gathering this history and one of the guys said when the war broke out, he went down to the draft office with some of his Caucasian friends to join the army and the recruiter looked at him, looked at him and said, "There's no way you're gonna' join this army 'cause you're a Jap." And he's saying this, and as he's saying this, tears are coming down his cheek. And he says, "You know, I've never said this before and it's been over fifty years." And it becomes really obvious that, that we have to deal with that pain in order for people to go on with their lives. And although this project is for our children, in order for us to get on with our lives, we have to do some healing also. And I think the psychological damage that was probably done by that time, is something that's really hard to overcome. I see people getting the reparation checks and feeling like, What are people going to say about me taking this money from the government?

LH: And what do they mean by that?

FK: Well they're kind of concerned that they're gonna' get a backlash, because they're making the government pay them all this money. Some people feel like in order to really deserve this money, I should do something good with this money. I should use it for giving it to some worthwhile cause or something like that. I think that people just so evasive, that there were 2,000 people that hadn't, applied for it. And I'm thinking... I guess, if someone tells you you're a second class person and keeps treating you that way, it's tough to get over the feeling that you're not. And that you're... instead of feeling like I've been wronged and I've been, that this money I really deserve. It becomes that you have to justify getting it. Even if somebody's already said you deserve having it and apologized to you. So...

LH: Now how do you...?

FK: I think there's a long ways to go.

<End Segment 41> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.