Discover Nikkei

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Interviews

Kinoshita,Cherry

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

Need for Monetary Compensation

And Henry was very strong and he and Shosuke are, I would say, the ones that convinced me of the rightness of individual payments. Of the rightness of asking for monetary compensation.

Apology fine, you know, we need that, but you need monetary compensation to back that up. Because—and the phrase that sticks in my mind is "our American system of justice" —you don't go to court and just say you've been wronged or damaged. There is always a monetary award. It's like Bill Marutani says, if you have a traffic ticket, you don't go down and apologize that you did wrong. The judge is not going to say, "That's fine that you're sorry." There is monetary, and that's our system.

And so gradually, you know, when they brought that out, it, then I gradually began to accept it. Because initially so many of us felt, you know, you don't ask for money. I mean, it doesn't seem right. Somehow it seems like you're asking for a handout and it was putting a value on this, too.


Henry Miyatake Redress movement Shosuke Sasaki

Date: September 26, 1997

Location: Washington, US

Interviewer: Becky Fukuda, Tracy Lai

Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Interviewee Bio

Cherry Kinoshita was born in 1923 in Seattle, WA. As a teen she was incarcerated at Puyallup Assembly Center in Washington and later Minidoka in Idaho. During her two and a half years behind barbed wire, she wrote for the camp newspaper, The Minidoka Irrigator.

In the ’70s she became active in the Seattle JACL movement for redress. One of Kinoshita’s many contributions was a grassroots lobbying effort to inform Washington State lawmakers on the injustice suffered by Japanese Americans during World War II. In dealing with politicians, Kinoshita’s secret weapons were persistence and patience. Notably, a congressman from the State of Washington introduced the first redress bill in 1979.

Kinoshita also organized a coalition of 16 major Japanese American organizations as redress supporters. At 60, in the midst of campaigning for redress, Kinoshita earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in sociology from the University of Washington. (April 15, 2008)

Herzig,Jack

His testimony has more credibility because of his race

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

Herzig,Jack

Bringing the Japanese American community together through class-action lawsuit

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

Mineta,Norman Yoshio

Finding supporters for the bill

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

Yamasaki,Frank

Thoughts on redress

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

Mineta,Norman Yoshio

Getting Jim Wright to sponsor the bill

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

Herzig,Aiko Yoshinaga

Positive experiences with Asian Americans for Action

(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

Herzig,Aiko Yoshinaga

Redress payments to Issei who did not enter camps

(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

Herzig,Aiko Yoshinaga

Waiting for the right time to start Redress Movement

(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

Minami,Dale

Impact of the original Korematsu case on current events

(b. 1946) Lawyer

Uyeda,Clifford

The unheralded help from beyond the community

(1917 - 2004) Political activist

Hosokawa,Bill

The Strength of Evidence

(1915 - 2007) Journalist

Nakano,Bert

Convincing the Beltway

(1928 - 2003) Political activist

Yoshida,George

Sansei and the Redress Movement

(b. 1922) Musician

Marutani,William

Figuring out a dollar amount for redress

Judge, only Japanese American to serve on CWRIC.

Marutani,William

On hearing of CWRIC selection from Senator Inouye

Judge, only Japanese American to serve on CWRIC.