Interviews
Working on the 'case of a lifetime'
I started working on this case when I was one or two years fresh out of law school. Many people would call this the case of a lifetime, and to have that quote, “case of a lifetime” as soon as you get out of law school is really pretty amazing. It taught me so many things that have served me on a regular basis. It certainly taught me about how politics relates to the law, and how inextricably linked political decisions are from legal decisions. It gave me a perspective on the law that I think I bring to my work constantly, that there's a relationship between law, politics, economics, social structures, prejudice. The law embodies everything that exists in society. It is not a separate entity, and that again, the law is an elastic entity to the extent that it can and should be used as a tool to effectuate social change. Certainly the case gave me that perspective. In other words, kind of a critical view of the law rather than just an accepting view of the law.
Date: March 23 & 24, 2000
Location: Washington, US
Interviewer: Margaret Chon, Alice Ito
Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.
Explore More Videos
Role of Hawaii internationally
(b.1926) Democratic politician and three-term Governor of Hawai'i
Relationship with S.I. Hayakawa
(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline
Past ties to present situation in Middle East
(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline
Finding supporters for the bill
(b. 1931) U.S. Former Secretary of Transportation
Thoughts on redress
(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.
Getting Jim Wright to sponsor the bill
(b. 1931) U.S. Former Secretary of Transportation
Redress payments to Issei who did not enter camps
(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist
Lack of support from fellow Nikkei lawyers during the war
(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist
The political effects on Nikkei during the war (Spanish)
(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman
The unheralded help from beyond the community
(1917 - 2004) Political activist
Inouye’s strategy for educating the American public
(1917 - 2004) Political activist
The Nikkei community that didn't support Former President Fujimori's election (Japanese)
(b. 1948) Executive Director of Amano Museum