Densho Digital Archive - George Izumi Interview (denshovh-igeorge-01-0016)

<Begin Segment 16>

JA: Tell me why a lot of people after, after the war worked to get redress recognition from the government for being interned. What motivated that and how did that turn out?

GI: To me, it didn't make any difference whether we got a redress or not. It was just the politicians that wanted to make a name for themselves, I think, that, that's how they got up there. Because war is war, and war is hell, and nobody has any jurisdiction about that. I mean, they say, "Well, what's going to happen if another Manzanar happens?" Well, if it happens, it's going to happen. I mean, you or I can't say anything about that because war is war and what happens at that time is what's going to happen. It doesn't make any difference. It'll happen again.

JA: Did you feel that the redress and the apology from the President made any difference to you?

GI: Well, it didn't make any difference to me because I already, I already set my mind on what I'm going to do in life. I mean, I didn't, it didn't matter to me whether I got the money or not. And you know, a lot of people, a lot of Nisei said, "Well, I deserve it, we deserve it." I mean, you don't deserve nothing, unless you work for it. I mean, what's the sense in living every day if you don't have anything, if you don't have a goal to live for? You have to do something in life. So, like me, I, I had to find something else after I retired to keep myself busy so I just, I did what I can, and I'm still doing what I, what I want to do and I'm doing it, so...