Mike Lowry was born in St. John, Washington in 1939 and graduated from the University of Washington in 1962. In 1978, Lowry was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on the Democratic ticket, where he served until 1989.

Throughout the 1980s, Lowry and many members of the Japanese-American community were instrumental in introducing legislation that sought to redress Japanese American citizens interned during World War II. While movements for Redress were not exactly new, Lowry’s plan, dubbed the “Seattle Plan,” called for direct compensation to the victims of internment. The legislation ultimately garnered support from many members of Congress and was signed into law by President Ronald Regan in 1988.

After leaving Congress, Lowry became the governor of Washington state in 1992, serving until 1996. Today, Lowry remains politically active and is concerned with affordable housing issues.

Mike Lowry shared memories of his work on the Redress campaign in a videotaped interview conducted by Trevor Griffey April 19, 2006. Video editing by Steven Beda.