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Waiting for the right time to start Redress Movement

There was no way we could do it (Redress Movement) before [the 1980s]. We didn’t have the facts to begin with. Other things, we were so busy trying to rebuild our lives, we were afraid, if they did [this] to us one time, what’s going to keep them from putting us away again if we starting doing something like this [suing the government]? If your constitutional rights are so flagrantly violated, what kind of assurance is there that they’re not going to do something like that again? There were people I know who still felt that way at that time in 1980, ‘81, ‘82.


Redress movement

Date: August 26, 1998

Location: Virginia, US

Interviewer: Darcie Iki, Mitchell Maki

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Aiko Yoshinaga Herzig was born in Sacramento, California in 1924. Her family immigrated from Kumamoto, Japan in 1919. During the Depression, the Yoshinaga family moved to Los Angeles, California.

During World War II, Aiko was incarcerated first at Manzanar with her husband’s family. She transferred to Jerome, Arkansas with her newborn daughter to be with her family. In 1944, the Yoshinaga family left Jerome and resettled in New York. She divorced and remarried a Nisei soldier. She went with him to Japan where he worked during the Occupation period. One of her husband’s co-workers was her future husband, Jack Herzig.

After her return to the United States, Aiko became involved in Asian Americans for Action. Aiko and Jack played a pivotal role in the Redress Movement through their research at the National Archives in Washington D.C. The documents they found were instrumental in the coram nobis case that vacated the convictions against Fred Korematsu, Min Yasui, and Gordon Hirabayashi. Aiko was also hired as the primary researcher for the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, and then worked for the Department of Justice Office of Redress Administration to help identify individuals eligible for redress payments. 

She passed away on July 18, 2018 at age 93. (July 2018)

Jack Herzig
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Jack Herzig

His testimony has more credibility because of his race

(1922 - 2005) Former U.S. Army counterintelligence officer

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Jack Herzig
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Jack Herzig

Bringing the Japanese American community together through class-action lawsuit

(1922 - 2005) Former U.S. Army counterintelligence officer

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Norman Yoshio Mineta
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Norman Yoshio Mineta

Finding supporters for the bill

(b. 1931) U.S. Former Secretary of Transportation

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Frank Yamasaki
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Frank Yamasaki

Thoughts on redress

(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.

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Norman Yoshio Mineta
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Norman Yoshio Mineta

Getting Jim Wright to sponsor the bill

(b. 1931) U.S. Former Secretary of Transportation

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Dale Minami
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Dale Minami

Impact of the original Korematsu case on current events

(b. 1946) Lawyer

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Clifford Uyeda
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Clifford Uyeda

The unheralded help from beyond the community

(1917 - 2004) Political activist

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Bill Hosokawa
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Bill Hosokawa

The Strength of Evidence

(1915 - 2007) Journalist

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Cherry Kinoshita
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Cherry Kinoshita

Need for Monetary Compensation

(1923–2008) One of the leaders behind the redress movement.

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Cherry Kinoshita
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Cherry Kinoshita

Erasing the Bitterness

(1923–2008) One of the leaders behind the redress movement.

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Bert Nakano
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Bert Nakano

Convincing the Beltway

(1928 - 2003) Political activist

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George Yoshida
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George Yoshida

Sansei and the Redress Movement

(b. 1922) Musician

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William Marutani
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William Marutani

Figuring out a dollar amount for redress

Judge, only Japanese American to serve on CWRIC.

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William Marutani
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William Marutani

On hearing of CWRIC selection from Senator Inouye

Judge, only Japanese American to serve on CWRIC.

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William Marutani
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William Marutani

Rationale for rejecting redress payment

Judge, only Japanese American to serve on CWRIC.

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