<Begin Segment 21>

RP: Can you share with us your thoughts about the movement to obtain redress and reparations in the '70s and '80s?

JN: What's that?

RP: The movement that developed to obtain redress and reparations for Japanese Americans during the 1980s. Everybody eventually received an apology letter.

JN: Oh, the redress, yeah. Yeah, I thought it was a real good idea, I got 20,000 dollars and it took over forty-three years to get that done and the people that lost the money didn't get anything because my mother and father died by then. They're the ones who lost the money, as an eleven year old, I didn't lose anything. So with 20,000 dollars I bought my first house. So in that respect it was good and I got a letter from the President saying this was a mistake, you know, we apologize for this. So that's another reason why most countries wouldn't do that. I think America's pretty good to say, yes, we made a mistake, we apologize and we'll, you know, we'll give you... this whole country is based on economy, at least we'll give you some money for... what's the price of freedom? What's the price of freedom for three or four years in the prison? I mean, nobody has... I think we first asked for 40,000 because that was maybe the salary at that time but they settled for 20,000 but that's the government. And at least it's something so I think that's real good. I think it's a good idea. Does that make any sense?

RP: Have you returned to either Heart Mountain or Gila River over the last sixty years?

JN: Yeah, I went to Heart Mountain and Gila both. And the first time I went to Heart Mountain it was devastating because all we saw was, you know, foundations and hardly any buildings or anything at all and the same with Gila. And at Gila they had a good program too, they had a lot of experience and so I really enjoyed that. But, yeah, I've been back to both of them and it just caught memories and I walk through Block 2 Barrack 2 and saw the foundation there. So it's an experience that you always remember, it's amazing.

RP: Did you take any of your kids with you?

JN: (Not to the camp, but to one reunion).

RP: You just went by yourself?

JN: (No. My wife came with me to Heart Mountain once to a symposium and to a dedication. I have been to both Heart Mountain and Gila River).

RP: And when you were there did you feel a little differently about what you had experienced as a mature adult looking back at your eleven year old... an eleven year old's experience?

JN: Well, as an eleven year old I guess I'm just saying that this is what happened in my life and I should just let go and continue and make the best of what's ahead of me. And it's good to hear what other people have thought about being in that concentration camp and their feelings about it too. And a lot of them still used the word shigata ga nai, "it can't be helped" but then you got to move on and make life for what it is. I don't know if that makes any sense to you or not. But it's something that is good to remember though. And that's why I like to give these talks too and I get good questions from the audience. I learned from the audience too.

RP: And you give these talks in the Portland public schools?

JN: Yeah.

RP: And so how often do you speak with groups?

JN: I probably speak maybe ten times a year, probably that many times. I spoke someplace in Washington too, you know, right across the border, Vancouver and places like that that are in the area.

RP: Mark, do you have any questions for John? John, are there any other stories or reminisces that you would like to share with us we haven't mentioned yet?

JN: No, I don't think so. We covered just about everything.

RP: Oh, I do have one other thing and that's later on when the law changed to allow Isseis to become naturalized citizens of this country, did your parents take that opportunity and become citizens?

JN: They both became citizens before they died. In fact, I even got the dates here. Ginzo Nakada got naturalized on July 30, 1953, and Kagi Nakada got naturalized September 14, 1953. They were both in Los Angeles.

RP: Were you there for that ceremony?

JN: No, I was not. I was in the service during the Korean War so I didn't experience that. But being in the service that's... I was in the service 1952 to 1954. So that was right in the middle of my service time so I didn't make that trip.

RP: Did they ever share how they felt about that... about becoming citizens?

JN: They were really happy to be Americans and they said, "All my kids were Americans so I want to be an American too."

RP: And it sounds like in thought and in their heart they already were, it was just the legal document.

JN: Yeah, the legal part of it. I think they were, even before the war they were pretty Americanized. And especially when they came back to America to raise the other children. I think they were really Americanized then definitely. When they went back to Japan the first time I'm not sure but when they came back here I'm positive that they were.

RP: One final question about your brothers, seven brothers who served in the military during World War II, correct? And how many of those actually saw action in the 442nd?

JN: Well, two of my brothers were in the 442nd, Henry and George. And they were both wounded but they did pretty well and they came back. And my other brothers were in the MIS, Military Intelligence and so they were interpreters and they were in Hawaii, Australia, Japan, the Philippines and things like that. And so the one thing I'd like to kind of share is when I talked to one of my brothers that was at MIS I think in Australia, you know, at that time they don't have segregated units and so they had Japanese in a regular unit that was all white. And so my brother said they had to have a soldier guarding them twenty-fours a day because they look Japanese and they thought maybe they were a spy that stole the uniform and so he says, "When I'm sleeping there's a guard there over me." [Laughs] Isn't that crazy? But the commander says you got to do this because a lot of people don't know that you're an interpreter. But isn't that a crazy experience though?

RP: Yeah, to have a bodyguard.

JN: Yeah.

RP: To make you feel special. Well, John, on behalf of Mark and myself and the National Park Service, I want to thank you for sharing your stories this morning and we appreciate it very much.

JN: Okay, thank you, you're welcome.

<End Segment 21> - Copyright © 2010 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.