Densho Digital Archive
Manzanar National Historic Site Collection
Title: Gloria Toshiko Imagire Interview
Narrator: Gloria Toshiko Imagire
Interviewer: Richard Potashin
Location: Sacramento, California
Date: October 17, 2008
Densho ID: denshovh-igloria-01-0019

<Begin Segment 19>

RP: Just a couple more questions. In 1988, President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act by issuing an apology and a repayment, I should say reparations, to all surviving members of the camp experience. How did you relate to that development?

GI: I was kind of... in a way, I felt like it was kind of like "blood money" or something, or a payoff or something. But then in a way, I was proud of this country that, you know, they recognize it and did something about it. But then I also was sad that people like my mother-in-law and my grandfather, they weren't around to get it. I thought, "Well, why should I get it? I was just a kid," but they should have gotten it.

RP: Are you involved in the Japanese American community in Sacramento here, the JACL or other...

GI: I am involved with this Asian Community Center. It was like in 1972, and at that time, the JACL wasn't taking a stand on anything, and they were kind of like a social club. So we started the Asian Community Center. It was called the Japanese Community Center, and later it was changed to the Asian Community Center. And you know, we used to picket when they were doing... well, there was this one miniature golf place that had, all those kinds of... see, in those days, JACL wasn't taking a stand. They later became very involved with reparations and everything. But I never joined JACL because I thought, "Well, why should I join it now?" I came this far with this group.

RP: So they were a little more aggressive in their positions on ethnically sensitive issues?

GI: Yeah. They took a stand and they did things, you know.

RP: Do you remember other instances of prejudice in the community that you kind of responded to?

GI: Well, personally, there used to be, what was it, Morton Downey Junior or something, he had a talk show, and one time he was saying some really off the wall things, and I remember calling in and correcting him, and I've written letters to the Bee and things, for the editorial, whenever they... but you know, as a group, it's just my involvement with the Asian Community Center. And I kind of sit there aside and watch the things that the JACL was doing. I totally support them, but I... I mean, I gave them money when I got reparations and everything. I haven't gotten involved, though.

RP: Is this group still around?

GI: Asian Community Center? Oh, yeah.

RP: And you're still involved?

GI: Yeah, yeah.

RP: Well, thank you so much, Gloria, on behalf of both of us and the Park Service for sharing another one of the 120,000 stories.

GI: I guess there are a lot of stories.

RP: Is there anything else you'd like to add to our conversation?

GI: I admire the work you guys are doing, I think it's great. It's even more so because I think you're not even Japanese, and you're so interested. [Laughs] So I think that's great. Thank you.

RP: One last thing. A number of folks, Nikkei in the Sacramento community, are spending a lot of time educating people about the experience. I think it's helping the California Science Center?

GI: Oh, yeah, that museum, yeah. I did help when they had it in Florin, but after the first couple of years, they didn't call me anymore and I thought, "Well, it's great. They must have plenty of people." And we all do our own things, and so if they could draw more people into doing those things, that's great. So I haven't touched that part of it since then.

RP: Thank you.

<End Segment 19> - Copyright © 2008 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.