<Begin Segment 25>

MK: And I guess he got so used to me by then that when he went to... I was strictly retired but I used to go and help at Weingart Foundation. But when the... can I talk about the museum? When the museum started forming...

SY: The Japanese American National.

MK: Japanese American National Museum started fundraising. The Weingart Foundation was the first corporate to give a million dollars for that and that set a precedent for the other corporations (and) foundations to come in. So we were really proud about that.

SY: And how did you secure that money, I mean, what were the steps that were taken?

MK: It's all who you know I guess. I knew the board at Weingart. Of course, John Ouellet being the president there he did most of the work.

SY: So you talked to John about hey, we've got this --

MK: Fred Hoshiyama and Florence Ochi came and we all approached the Weingart Foundation at that time.

SY: So you spoke or you presented this proposal to the board.

MK: They approved the million dollars so that's why I was really lucky I got to choose what room the Weingart gallery was going to be down at the museum now.

SY: So it being the first corporate sponsor it was... do you remember the year?

MK: Was it '89, '90?

SY: So the museum was still in the old historical building?

MK: Yeah, right this was the fundraising for the new pavilion but the new pavilion opened in 2000, right, so it must have been just before that.

SY: So now when had you started your involvement with the museum? When did you start getting involved?

MK: George started first and when they were still in the warehouse downtown because I was still working at that time. In 1989 Florence and Fred Hoshiyama asked me to help with the first grassroots campaign that they wanted to do for the museum based on YMCA method of raising funds. And so I helped out in 1989, we were the (...) first group, Westside grassroots campaign.

SY: And what did that involve?

MK: We had a goal of I think it was a $100,000 and we raised $150,000 at that time. So that set the model for all the other campaigns that they conducted throughout the whole (community).

SY: And how did you raise the money?

MK: We went out and solicited funds. We had teams, I think five different... in fact, I have a picture of the original group that I had with me just the other day. And we had different teams and we had good fundraisers.

SY: So you had to approach people on your own that you knew?

MK: I think my biggest thing was to the donor wall, approach them, brand new building and get your name up there for three thousand dollars, five thousand dollars. And that was an easy sell.

SY: So why is it that you took on this job of raising money?

MK: Probably 'cause I don't know any better. [Laughs] No, I really feel it's payback time for me to try to help wherever we can.

SY: But there are many organizations that you could be supporting. Did you choose the museum?

MK: Well, for sure I know that our story has to be told and I just... the museum I think covers all facets and I was hoping that it would cover the military portion of it too and then all the Niseis. Just all-encompassing of our whole story so I feel that it's important that it keeps going that way and I hope that with a new generation we can keep it going.

SY: Did you feel the strain of it based on what your parents went through?

MK: I'm sure that has a lot to do with it because the Isseis are the ones who really suffered so much and it's their story too.

<End Segment 25> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.