Joseph Kosai - A Japanese Internment Experience
Joseph Kosai was born in Tacoma on May 7, 1934. When he was eight years old he and his family were sent from Tacoma to Pinedale, California, and then on to the Minidoka Japanese internment camp in Idaho. His father had been removed to Montana by the FBI at the beginning of the war. Kosai's internment lasted three years almost to the day - from May 18, 1942 until May 17, 1945. He ultimately returned to the area after the war for a career in Education, retiring as Director of Admissions from Tacoma Community College. Kosai became involved with the Redress Committee of the Japanese American Citizen's League (JACL), and was in attendence when President Reagan signed the redress bill into law on August 10, 1988. In this excerpt Kosai discusses the Japanese American community's view of the U.S. government's official explanation for internment, and shares some personal anecdotes.
Note: For the complete version of this project, see call # 1991#04
