Densho Digital Archive
Frank Abe Collection
Title: Jim Akutsu Interview
Narrator: Jim Akutsu
Interviewers: Frank Abe (primary); Frank Chin (secondary)
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: August 28, 1993
Densho ID: denshovh-ajim-02-0006

<Begin Segment 6>

Male voice: When you guys went to camp, did the government provide leaders amongst you, or did they appoint somebody?

JA: Well, JACL more or less appointed themselves.

FC: There was a camp administration there. Run the student government, etcetera.

JA: Yeah, and they took upon themselves that they are the leader and they only represented, what, only just 7 or 8 percent of the total Japanese American population.

FC: Were you a member of the JACL at the time?

JA: No.

FC: In Seattle, were you a member of the JACL?

JA: No.

FC: You knew that the JACL had been founded in Seattle?

JA: Oh, yeah. Yes, I knew.

FC: And why weren't you a member?

JA: Well, actually, they were inviting people; I never was invited. And I was too busy, involved in my own thing.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 1993, 2005 Frank Abe and Densho. All Rights Reserved.