<Begin Segment 33>

LH: Well, it's interesting you say that because I've read in a recent article that some of the younger generation don't feel that, themselves as being Nikkei, but that isn't what they called "war-driven" anymore. That means that they don't feel that their identity is really even linked to World War II and the history of their grandparents, their parents, or I guess great-grandparents as well. How would you respond to that?

FF: I would say that, that they're mistaken. 'Cause no matter what, history is gonna be part of the memories that they're going to have to deal with, 'cause if something happens in terms of racism or anti-Japaneseism or whatever it might be, I don't know. But the point is they're gonna have to face up to the fact that they're not part of the mainstream. Sure, if they're succeeding and doing, doing their thing. Inevitably they could be non-worldly, it could be, like say if I'm a Nikkei, maybe Yonsei CEO who's driven to be a top-notch business person, and then I'm dealing with underlings who may be "the majority" who I'm in charge of. And if they don't like you, the issue of color is going to come up, that, "I don't want to work for a person of color, or a Jap," or whatever. And I think that issue always comes up because when it comes to economy and time of, our lifetime, any time it hurts the pocket book of the establishment, so to speak, your ethnicity comes to the fold. And I think the young kids going to have to deal with that. And it's gonna hit them, but that's why I think it's so important that maybe myself being involved with this project, where if they hear me out, it would make sense that they be proud of what you are, 'cause you're never gonna lose it, and you know more about it. My good friend, who's a history instructor at the college, at Seattle Central Community College, Dan Peterson, who's a top-notch historian, he always said, "History teaches you to make the right decisions." And you know, there's a lot to that. And I always liked the guy, 'cause he always thinks highly of the Japanese Americans. In fact, sometimes I think he overdoes it where he might say, "Hey, Tom Yamamoto, why can't you be like your sister, you know, top notch student and sharp?" And I get mad at him for saying, don't try to bag us into one in terms of succeeding just because their ethnicity or brotherly and sister, take them individually, but I'm glad you think that way. But they could turn off by that. Don't turn them off, that's all I'm saying.

<End Segment 33> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.