I joined JABA, the Japanese American Bar Association in 1980. And again, was just so impressed that there were other Sansei attorneys who were working in the law, some were already on the bench as judges.

And this was the 1980s, when the fight for redress and reparations was just coming about, I actually was co-chair of a committee of JABA that was working on research for the coram nobis petitions that eventually were able to vacate the original convictions of Messer’s Korematsu, Hirabayashi, and Yasui. And also I was able to help prepare Nisei and even I think some Issei still living witnesses for their testimony before CWRIC. That was the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Incarceration of Citizens. So there were hearings held all over the country, including right here in Los Angeles.

And as part of this pro bono project at my law firm, I met with people who had stories to tell but didn’t quite know how to organize. They brought in pieces of paper and receipts and letters and wanted help in telling their stories. So I interviewed the witnesses and was able to help some of them prepare both their written and their oral testimony.

So that was in the 1980s, and I think that I felt that I was first able to do something specifically to help the Japanese American community.