Interviews
Figuring out a dollar amount for redress
A proposal at that time was that we seek $10,000 per evacuee, which would have meant—what would have that come to? —$1.2 billion based upon 120,000. And I understood, of course, that these were not people involved that much in law, and particularly tort damages. Ten thousand dollars is miniscule. And for what the government did to these people, $10,000 per head is a disgrace. If you add a couple of zeros on it, that would be closer to what it should be. But as a practical matter, if you add a couple of zeros to that, you’re going to end up with twelve billion dollars, and the system just could not absorb that. So the figure had to be high enough so that they can feel that it hurt, but not so high that it will cause some damage to the cause.
Date: August 27, 1998
Location: Pennsylvania, US
Interviewer: Darcie Iki, Mitchell Maki
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Importance of education in achieving redress for incarceration
(1919-2014) Activist for civil rights and redress for World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans.
Denied redress as a Japanese Peruvian
(1930-2018) Nisei born in Peru. Taken to the United States during WWII.
Receiving a negative reaction from father upon asking about World War II experience
(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor
Thoughts on redress
(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.
Redress Movement in Canada
(b.1924) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Interpreter for British Army in Japan after WWII. Active in Japanese Canadian community
Positive experiences with Asian Americans for Action
(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist
Redress payments to Issei who did not enter camps
(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist
Waiting for the right time to start Redress Movement
(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist
His testimony has more credibility because of his race
(1922 - 2005) Former U.S. Army counterintelligence officer
Bringing the Japanese American community together through class-action lawsuit
(1922 - 2005) Former U.S. Army counterintelligence officer
Role of the redress movement in helping Nisei to open up about their wartime experiences
(b. 1946) Lawyer
Changing Minds
(1923–2006) Community activist. Co-founded the Manzanar Committee
Prevailing Within the System
(1923–2006) Community activist. Co-founded the Manzanar Committee
Fighting For What’s Right
(1923–2006) Community activist. Co-founded the Manzanar Committee