<Begin Segment 23>

MN: Let me ask you a little bit about redress. When they started to talk about redress, did you think that something like this would be possible?

YY: No, I didn't. But I did go to one of the sessions. I don't know who I went with, but I was listening and I thought, "Wow. These Sanseis that got up so much courage, we wouldn't even mention it." But they got up there and it was injustice and all, and I was proud of it. I thought, "Wow." I didn't think it ever would happen. But a lot of people suffered and went through a lot for that.

MN: You're talking about, you went to one of the commission hearings?

YY: Uh-huh.

MN: Were you at the one when Lillian Baker stood up?

YY: I believe I did. Oh, she wrote horrible things in the Gardena Valley News, oh my goodness. I don't know why they printed, well, they didn't print it's only democratic. But boy, she was really, very bitter.

MN: How did you feel reading about all the things that she wrote about?

YY: Well, I didn't like it, but then everybody's entitled to their own feelings. Because she was bitter because of her husband, what happened to him. So I can't blame her. I guess she's, that's where she's coming from.

MN: Was that really true about her husband? I think he was a, I heard rumors that he...

YY: You don't know the truth. You never know what the real truth is. You just don't know. You can speculate, but you don't know.

MN: So it was just speculation that he was a Japanese POW?

YY: Well, he might have been, but she makes it sound so terrible. But in those days, war is war, they do horrible things. I don't understand that. It's not necessary, but they do that.

MN: So how did you feel when the redress bill finally passed?

YY: I was quite happy. 'Cause so many people -- and not me, it's more the older people -- lost so much. The property and their livelihood, it was hard. That doesn't even cut it for them, but it's better than nothing.

MN: Now I want to ask a little bit about, you have these really, two great writers who are your friends, Wakako and Hisaye, and you love to read. Did you ever think about becoming a writer yourself?

YY: No, I don't think so. I just liked to read. But I'm just amazed at what they can write up, and you have to research and all this because I'm not into that kind of stuff. You've got to know what you're writing about. But it's amazing, these people, what they come up with. Oh, that's why I really enjoy these stories. My son-in-law always gives me what he reads and passes it on. Some I'm not that interested, but I read most of them.

MN: How did you feel with J.K. became a writer?

YY: I was quite proud of him. He was always a good writer. Even in high school he used to write things and draw, he was quite a good artist, too.

<End Segment 23> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.