<Begin Segment 3>

FA: Mits, in the courtroom, do you recall the photo -- you were there in the photograph, you were in the front row.

MK: Yes.

FA: I know you were there. Do you recall the photograph being taken, and what directions did the cameraman give you?

MK: I don't remember too much about the directions but I remember that since we were young, young guys, we wanted to sit in the front row and see what all the action was, you know. And that I don't think we got any particular orders how to look or... I guess we were kinda asked to look into the camera, take our pictures.

FA: You were only eighteen years at the time, going to federal court on trial for draft resistance.

MK: Yeah, I was eighteen at the time.

FA: How did you feel that day coming into court?

MK: Oh, anytime you go into a jail and face, face the federal government, it's not a very positive feeling, especially when you know that your community leaders and Japanese American leaders were against you. That's what really hurt my feelings.

FA: Speaking of Japanese American Citizens League, what did you think of the Japanese American Citizens League then?

MK: At the time in camp? I thought they were very weak. They did everything to accommodate the government, did everything to hurt anybody that dissented, dissented, or against anybody, any Japanese Americans, for fighting for their constitutional rights, and to them, good image was far more important than good constitutional rights, where we as resisters believed that good constitutional rights was far more important than good image.

FA: And all the editorials in the Heart Mountain Sentinel were run by the JACL?

MK: Oh yes, completely. I believe the Heart Mountain --

FA: What did you think about the... oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead.

MK: I believe that the Heart Mountain Sentinel was thoroughly controlled by the JACL and WRA, that's why they were allowed to write anything they want, because they knew that they will never write anything against WRA and the government, and the JACL especially. I know that's true because if you look at any of the old Heart Mountain Sentinel, the editors never protested against the incarceration and evacuation. All they wrote about is how glorious it is to accommodate the government.

FA: And those editorials said that the resisters, you, Mits, were weak-kneed, delinquent draft dodgers. You read that in camp, how did that make you feel?

MK: Well, it made me feel real bad, but, that our Japanese American leaders chose to take that route, that condemning us would make them look good in the eyes of the government. And I hate to say it but it really worked, because the government let the JACL control everything.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 1993, 2005 Frank Abe and Densho. All Rights Reserved.