Densho Digital Archive - Art Hansen Interview (denshovh-hart-01-0025)

<Begin Segment 25>

FC: Why has it taken so long for the story of the resistance to reach the public? Even to reach the Japanese American public?

AH: Well, I think the larger sort of thing is it's taken about as long to come out with a mixed story and unpleasant sides of World War II. I mean, you know, when Studs Terkel writes his book and he puts it in quotes, "the good war," I mean, this was the thing that was going to enshrine America. This wasn't something that should exist on that plane of reality where there were a lot of unpleasant dimensions. Race wars going on during the war in the homefront and, and also beatings of blacks and other segregated troops, all the things that went on during World War II. That stuff is just coming out right now, too. So the Japanese American side of the story and the dissent and everything else is not that far behind or actually in some ways it's even in advance of the, sort of, the story about World War II. So I mean, I, I think it's partly the idea of image. And the Japanese American Citizens League, because of the prominence that was given to the 442nd and its heroics and everything, I mean, and the applause that they were given for that, I think that they supported this larger unvarnished -- or very varnished American narrative. And so it's, it's happening in the minority community as well as it's happening in the mainstream.

FC: How has the story been returned to public discussion?

AH: With people resisting the idea of resistance. [Laughs] I mean, I think it's been returned as sort of like a messy birth. I don't think that people have liked hearing this. Initially, of course, the Japanese American community did not want to bring this up because it was something that was going to create trouble, they thought, for them, make waves and everything. And so they did everything they could to batten the hatches and to keep the old story in place, the one that was palatable to the powers that be. So I think it, it was not received -- since it's been received and it's been received by a lot of different dimensions within the community, I think in some cases it's been received very enthusiastically. I was kind of like, here's the truth that's going to set me free. I mean, instead of having to live with this unreal sort of image of people who are willing to do anything to turn any kind of somersaults to accommodate the government as they all of sudden say, "Hey, wait a second," there was a salvational element here and that these were people that raised their voice and said, "Hell no, we won't go." I mean, this is the case with the resisters. Or, "Hell no, I want to protest," and everything. So, and I think even before that, insofar as there was a story of resistance, it was an easier one to accommodate because it was the test case and that was something that was distant and removed and official and things like this. But this was the obstreperous sort of behavior of people who were ready to beat up Ben Kuroki. I mean, this is not something that, they didn't want to hear about riots and demonstrations and strikes and everything, and all those things were there. And now they're starting to hear about them.