Interviews

1. The importance of Japanese American role models in childhood community

2. Avoiding the pigeonhole of stereotypes during school years

3. First learning about the incarceration experience in college

4. Recognizing issues of dual identity in the nisei generation

5. Heightened awareness of identity as a Japanese American

6. Feeling angry upon reading of Supreme Court case, 'Korematsu v. United States'

7. Is 'Korematsu v. United States' still a threat to American civil liberties?

8. Working on the 'case of a lifetime'

Bannai,Lorraine

(b. 1955) Lawyer

First learning about the incarceration experience in college

So I started to take some of their basic classes that introduced us to, again, issues of identity, roots, the Roots Reader, the Asian American reader had come out, exploring issues of identity and who we are and how we fit into this society. We look different, we're treated different, perhaps, when people see us, and how do we live with that and how do we break out of whatever stereotypes exist?

And aside from issues of identity, of course, issues of history. We learned about the emigration, Asian American immigration—Asian immigration to this country, learned about the treatment of Chinese, Japanese, and the various Asian, Pacific American ethnic groups. And as part of that, of course, learned about the internment of Japanese Americans. And it's the first time that I really learned about what had actually happened during the camps. After hearing references to camp just very sporadically during my youth, it was the first time that I was able to actually read about camps and see where the camps were located and what they were like and what had happened to give rise to the camps.

discrimination education imprisonment incarceration interpersonal relations World War II camps

Date: March 23 & 24, 2000

Location: Washington, US

Interviewer: Margaret Chon, Alice Ito

Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Interviewee Bio

Sansei female. Born 1955 in Los Angeles, CA. Grew up in Gardena, CA, surrounded by a large Japanese American community. Influenced by father's role in community and politics, and mother's emphasis on education. Attended University of California, Santa Barbara where she became increasingly aware of Japanese American history, issues of ethnic identity and racial inequality. Attended the University of San Francisco School of Law where she honed her commitment to political and social activism.

Only a few years out of law school, she joined a team of lawyers working to reopen the Supreme Court's 1944 decision in Korematsu v. United States. Convicted of violating the exclusion order during World War II, Mr. Korematsu's case went all the way to the Supreme Court where the exclusion and incarceration of Japanese Americans was upheld as constitutional, based on the government's argument of 'military necessity.' Through a petition for writ of error coram nobis (establishing that the case was premised on errors of fact withheld from the judge and the defense by the prosecution), the legal team reopened the case, provided evidence that the factual underpinnings to the exclusion orders were fraudulent, and successfully had the Korematsu conviction vacated, as well as a handful of other similar convictions. In this interview, Ms. Bannai discusses the coram nobis legal team, the support for the effort among the Japanese American community, and personal lessons gained from being a part of this effort. (March 24, 2000)