<Begin Segment 22>

MA: So I wanted to ask you about, in the 1980s, the government gave redress for, to the Japanese American community for the incarceration during World War II. And what are your thoughts about receiving redress and the formal apology and the check and all of that?

GO: It is truly American way, isn't it? I think if you were living anywhere else, it wouldn't have happened. I mean, I really think that sincerely, and I think, well, I'm proud to be an American for them to be able to bow their heads and apologize. No matter who it is, if they did wrong.

MA: So you're also very active in talking with young people especially about your experiences in Topaz and about the internment experience. Can you talk a little bit about how you started doing that and talking to schools?

GO: When my son was taking AP English, his young teacher knew about it, and assigned my son to write on it and study it and write on it, and also have me come and speak to the class. That was the very first time that I spoke, when he was a senior in high school. I'm proud to say that my son is a merit, merit scholar.

MA: That's wonderful.

GO: Well, he didn't, he didn't have to study or do anything. Whatever we didn't know, we'd say, "Ask Allen." [Laughs]

<End Segment 22> - Copyright ©2008 Densho and the Topaz Museum. All Rights Reserved.