Paul Bannai oral history interview, part 7 of 8, September 15, 2002
Paul Takao Bannai likes to be active in the community, but there is not enough time. Paul is part of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) for more than 60 years. Paul would like to put more time into helping Go For Broke. However, if they need him for anything, he is willing to be there for the organization.
Paul also goes to high schools and universities to speak to students about evacuation and his military service. Paul is a member of the Nikkei International Association. Nikkei International Association's goal is to maintain the relationship with other Japanese Americans overseas and promote the Japanese heritage. Later, Paul discovers he is part of a Fukushima-Ken Kenjin-Kai.
Paul explains he is active in the community because he likes helping others. Therefore, Paul teaches his children the value of helping others. Although, he does not share his wartime shares with his children. Paul's two daughters were active in the court cases for Gordon Hirabayashi, Fred Korematsu, and Minoru Yasui. Therefore they are familiar with the Japanese American experience.
Paul discusses different ways of recording history through oral histories, books, and photographs. By recording history, the purpose is to retain the experiences of the Nisei to educate others. Paul loves photography and has over 400 albums of photos. He likes to record events of other people through photographs.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Bannai%2C+Paul%3A+narrator">Bannai, Paul: narrator</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Nakaishi%2C+Russell%3A+interviewer">Nakaishi, Russell: interviewer</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Go+For+Broke+National+Education+Center%3A+publisher">Go For Broke National Education Center: publisher</a>
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2002OH0307_07_Bannai
Paul Bannai oral history interview, part 5 of 8, September 15, 2002
Paul Takao Bannai's political career starts in 1972 when he is elected to Gardena City Council. Later, in 1973, he is elected to California State Legislature with the help of President Reagan and the widow of an Assemblyman. Paul is the first Japanese American elected to the California State Legislature. He runs for four terms in the Assembly.
In 1980, Paul is invited to come to Washington DC and is hired as Executive Director of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC). Paul hires Nisei staff members to help him. One of the tasks of Paul's job is to have hearings throughout the different places of the United States. He asks several Japanese American organizations, one of them is the Japanese American Citizens League, to help gather Japanese Americans to share their experience about evacuation.
Paul has hearings across the United States which leads to the report. He explains why his name is not on the report because he is an evacuee and spends time at Manzanar. Therefore, an attorney is hired to write the report. With the report, the Congressional Senate, and Congress, Paul can subpoena anyone he wants. Paul wants to subpoena the people who made the decisions for evacuation, such as General DeWitt.
After Congress reads the report, Congress recommends reparations be given, and the head of the Government would officially apologize. Later, President Reagan asks Paul to stay to run the Veterans Administration. Pauls knows a lot about veterans and the help they need from his wartime experiences. When Paul retires, he recalls President Reagan giving him a customize belt buckle.
Paul stays busy during his retirement volunteering at the Veterans and Foreign War and Disable American Veterans. He says it is important to help others. Pauls discusses the morals and values passed on to him by his Issei parents, and he passes the same teachings to his children. Paul has three children and five grandchildren.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Bannai%2C+Paul%3A+narrator">Bannai, Paul: narrator</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Nakaishi%2C+Russell%3A+interviewer">Nakaishi, Russell: interviewer</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Go+For+Broke+National+Education+Center%3A+publisher">Go For Broke National Education Center: publisher</a>
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2002OH0307_05_Bannai
Mitsuo Kunihiro oral history interview, part 1 of 5, April 20, 2002
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Identity+and+values--Parents">Identity and values--Parents</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Immigration+and+citizenship--Arrival">Immigration and citizenship--Arrival</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Industry+and+employment--Agriculture">Industry and employment--Agriculture</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Race--Discrimination">Race--Discrimination</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Identity+and+values--Nisei">Identity and values--Nisei</a>
Kunihiro discusses his early years growing up in southern California: Imperial Valley and Sierra Madre. He also talks about his father's immigration to the U.S. and how he became established in farming. Kunihiro shares anecdotes regarding: childhood during Great Depression; a lawsuit his father filed; his family's background.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Kunihiro%2C+Mitsuo%3A+narrator">Kunihiro, Mitsuo: narrator</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Nakamatsu%2C+Karen%3A+interviewer">Nakamatsu, Karen: interviewer</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Go+For+Broke+National+Education+Center%3A+publisher">Go For Broke National Education Center: publisher</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=48&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Go+For+Broke+National+Education+Center">Go For Broke National Education Center</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=40&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=2002+April+20+">2002 April 20 </a>
video/m4v
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<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Oral+Histories">Oral Histories</a>
2002OH0268_01_Kunihiro
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