Densho Digital Archive - Mo Nishida Interview I (denshovh-nmo-01-0025)

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MN: Okay, so you mentioned, we talked about the Collective, you mentioned Alcatraz a little bit earlier, but if you could share with us a little bit more about when they took over Alcatraz in 1969, how did the people down here, how did the Japanese Americans down here support them?

Mo N: Okay, well, we put it out that we'd already developed somewhat of a reputation in terms of what we were about and stuff and who we were. So when we put the call out, the people who really responded were the Isseis. So like I said, we had a busload of goodies that we took with us, and we took it down to Alcatraz, and we thought we get on a boat and go for a ride and deliver the goodies. Well, it turns out that what we didn't know was that the Coast Guard had put a blockade on Alcatraz, so they weren't letting anything go in and out. And we further found out that there were Nisei fishermen from Monterey coming up with their boats and loading up with stuff at night and running it in to Alcatraz underneath the nose of the Coast Guard. So that made us feel real good, too, that the Japanese community, other parts of the Japanese community were in support of what was going on there. So we felt real good, and we felt that generally speaking, the Japanese community was -- at least the Issei community -- was okay with what we were doing. In fact, the Issei community has always been more progressive than the Niseis.

MN: And was this your first exposure to Native Americans?

Mo N: Yeah, that was probably one of the first things that we ever did, that I ever participated in Native American things. You know, it was always kind of something, that always touched a chord. I always think about why the Isseis really supported the Natives, and I talked to people about it, one, it's like very close to the land. Isseis could dig on that. And then they know the history, they know the people have been messed over, and they know their own history, experienced it themselves, so they're supportive that way. So, yeah, it's just... it's only us in this country, especially the Nisei, who've sold out our heritage in the main. Try to make the JACL dream come true, and we can become all white. Ha, ha, ha, joke, joke. [Laughs]