<Begin Segment 31>

RP: Did your grandparents ever become naturalized citizens when they had the ability to do that?

SK: Yes, I think my grandmother did. She was... boy, I'm just going to say pretty old by then, when she became naturalized. But I remember it was after we came back, so I'm going to say she was probably in her seventies or maybe a little earlier, but she seemed like it was about the seventies. And she never had a real command of the English language, but if you spoke to her, she could understand most of the things you said. And she would answer you in English, so it was great. Like I said, they never forced any Japanese on us, and my grandparents never spoke Japanese to us because we wouldn't understand.

RP: Were they also around to receive an apology and redress payment in the '80s?

SK: I believe they were. No, my grandmother was, okay? I don't believe my grandfather was. I think he had already passed away.

RP: What were... do you recall, did she have any feelings about that? What about the rest of the family as well? When that came about, it sort of rekindled that experience for many Japanese American families.

SK: I'm not sure. If it did, Dad... Mom never, if she thought about it, she kept it to herself pretty well, she didn't show her emotions that much. Dad... I'm not sure. I think it bothered him more than it bothered Mom, but he never would come out or say it. He never did say anything negative about it. If he did, he said it to my sisters, he didn't say it to me, and I don't think he would have even said it to them. I think he was a little bit bitter, but he never showed it to us kids. He may have spoken to other people his age, his friends or something, but not to his kids.

RP: And how did you feel about that, that whole movement and the apology payment?

SK: Well, you know...

RP: For you, it was, you were a young kid...

SK: Yeah, I, like I said, my camp experience was not a negative experience. I mean, it was, to me I was a kid, it was a fun time. When that came, well, it really, it was $20,000. I mean, my wife and I both got it and we just put it away and put it to good use. As far as the apology letter and everything goes, it's put away someplace. For my mom and dad, well, Dad had it framed and put on the wall. He had it framed on the wall at our house... well, his house, or my parents' house. For us, that letter is someplace, I don't know where. Maybe in the strongbox. [Laughs]

<End Segment 31> - Copyright &copy; 2011 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.