<Begin Segment 9>

TM: But about the same time, and here again, I can't remember exactly when, but when I was active with the JACL -- and I don't know if it was before or after the exhibit, but Edison Uno was a guest in Seattle for some reason. And he spoke, and I was really impressed by what he said, and --

BF: He was the father of the redress movement?

TM: I think so. And he probably isn't given proper credit. But having said that, I have to be proud of the people in Seattle, that Miyatake, and Ken Nakano and Shosuke and Henry Miyatake and people like that. They picked up the ball. I didn't agree with the process, but the ideal of what they were trying to achieve, I really applaud and --

BF: The process of --

TM: Well, they, they didn't want to work within the establishment like JACL. And they were very uncompromising. And it probably paid off because when people like Edison was talking about, I think, and because of the strong influence of Mike Masaoka, they were talking about block grant, and --

BF: A big sum of money that would --

TM: And Henry was arguing all the reasons, which now I agree with, I didn't know if I agreed with it at that time, the system and favoritism and ultimately it's probably a worse system. So they pushed for individual, and I guess I didn't exactly agree with the method they used. But looking back, maybe there was no other method, other than to be headstrong and just demand and not compromise because if they, I suppose if you compromise somewhere, it would have become a compromise, and it would have been a block grant.

BF: Were you a part of the, the leadership in JACL at the time when they were trying to decide whether to go with, with an individual payment...

TM: Yes.

BF: ...versus block grants that would be distributed through someplace like JACL.

TM: I was the --

BF: Were those real heated and --

TM: Oh, yeah. It was, except like I say, it was uncompromising and not the traditional way I went about it. But I was in Sacramento, and I can't remember what year, I was treasurer, and people like Mike Masaoka says, "The block grant's the only way we could go." And Min Yasui, people like that, well, that's another story. But I was kind of disappointed that they weren't looking at the big picture, I don't think. Gordon Hirabayashi was probably, but others were lining themself up behind certain people or something. And that's not --

BF: Internal politics.

TM: Yeah. And that's not uncommon, unfortunately. And looking back, unfortunate -- fortunately, I was so busy with my own personal life and family and marriage, and running Uwajimaya, so I got out of there pretty fast.

BF: But you did lobby?

TM: Well, I was --

BF: Was that local, locally?

TM: Yeah, I was asked to serve, speak at the hearing, which I thought was a waste of time, but in retrospect, that was a very good idea that --

BF: These are the commission hearings?

TM: Yes. That -- I really admire -- Sparky is the one that pushed for that.

BF: Matsunaga? Okay.

TM: But I think that was good. I was asked to speak. The other sad not -- interesting highlight to that is that Naomi, Naomi, yeah. Her name is now Sanchez, but what was her name? Anyway, she was working for the governor, Spellman. And Naomi calls me and says, "The governor's been asked to also testify. And he won't be there, but would you like something that we could do?" So I typed something up and sent it out. In fact, we, I can't remember who came and testified, it was practically word-for-word what I wrote. And Naomi says, "Yeah, John was really appreciative of what you wrote."

BF: Oh, interesting.

TM: So I had my story plus his. But that's not public. But, but, so in some, I always had my finger in there little bit, in some ways.

BF: What did you...

TM: Oh.

BF: Now you lobbied the Republicans?

TM: Yes.

BF: Why was, why was that your assignment? [Laughs]

TM: Well, because most JACL minorities were aligned with the Democrats, I guess, for whatever reason. But I knew most of the Republicans because I aligned myself, but also when Ruth Woo, Ruth Yoneyama -- do you know her? She came, she lost her husband in Chicago. And she came to Seattle, and she started to work for Dan Evans. And she moved way up. And so she would always try to get me, and I became good friends with her. Always trying to get me on some boards of commissions. And I said, "I don't need it anymore." But anyway, she got me on like, a community college board. And before that, she got me on some kind of a police something, organization board, where Slade Gorton was heading. So I got to know Slade. And John Spellman, I don't know where I got to know him, but Pritchard. And so Chandler, and so I was identified as the Republican contact. So I went and lobbied with Cherry and with other people, the Republican --

BF: How was that? Was it hard to --

TM: Well, here again, it's a learning curve. It's like the first one, you're nervous. But after a while, it becomes easier. But also having known these people before on other issues really helped. Like Joel Pritchard, we went to Japan together, maybe about -- how many later? But, whatever. But for some reason -- no, no, no, it was after. But like I say, serving on a committee with, like, Slade Gorton, just made it easy to call in and say you want an appointment. Then, like they say, I, you're kind of nervous at first. But then you have people like Cherry, others that really know the issue anyway. You're just there to introduce and make the opening statement, then you turn it over. But I think the, and it's mostly, it's getting your foot in the first, is the most vital part. And if I could do that, I feel that that's fine. Yeah. I don't know how to say, what I could serve the community with, whatever. But it's done me well.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 1999 Densho. All Rights Reserved.