Densho Digital Repository - William "Bill" Kaneko Interview (Densho ID: ddr-densho-1020-11-7)

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EK: In your mind, what would you say were some of the program's highlights or even particular challenges that they faced?

BK: I think the highlights was really the speed and efficiency of which the government was able to implement the act. When you think about it, the Act was passed in August of 1988, and between '88 and I think when the first checks were issued in 1991 or thereabouts, within a year after that, they probably had compensated something like sixty thousand internees. And to go from literally an Act being adopted to actually putting an office together, to hiring staff, to coming up with a verification program, to going out all over the United States and working with community organizations to be able to identify and verify Japanese Americans and to compensate them literally in a matter of a couple of years is incredible. And for a federal agency to do that and to witness that, was really not only amazing, but a true lesson in leadership. To see someone like Bob to be able to put together, conceptualize and implement a program with such great speed and accuracy was amazing. And to me, that was really one of the highlights because it also showed me the importance of the leadership within government and what can be done within the federal government.

EK: Do you have any personal takeaways from your experience working with redress?

BK: I guess one of the, yeah, the personal takeaways is the importance of leadership. But also the importance of being mission-focused. I think what ORA did under all three Administrators was to be able to develop a team and a culture of unity and focus. Because in our interactions with ORA over the years, the staff was incredibly responsive. They were supportive, they went out of their way to work with communities, and it was just incredible to see everyone from the Administrator on down to legal counsel, to the outreach workers, to folks who staffed the helpline, they were all there working in unison. And I think one of the takeaways is that when you do, as a leader of an organization, whether it be the government or the private sector, develop a team, great things can be accomplished and that was some of the great things that ORA did.

EK: Do you think a program like this could happen today?

BK: Yeah, I think so, but it really comes down to people. Because you could have great intentions, great laws passed, but it really depends on who's in the room.