Memoir Project

A long time ago, when Japan had the feudal system, my family was a landlord of the area. It has come to a complete downfall over the years, but my family still clings to its past glory. For them, to succeed the family is critical. I’m firstborn and have no brother which meant that I was a successor and destined to spend the whole life in my hometown. But, music changed everything. To pursue a career in music, my hometown was too rural, and I had to move out. Back then, I was a college student, and moving to a city meant dropping out of school.

In My Hero, some of the most prominent heroes and leaders of our time will share, in their own words, their thoughts and stories about the people who have been the greatest source of strength and inspiration to them. In these uncertain times, these stories about the extraordinary people whose words and deeds made an indelible impression will serve as welcome beacons.

In 1989, Texas executed Carlos DeLuna, a poor Hispanic man with childlike intelligence, for the murder of Wanda Lopez, a convenience store clerk. His execution passed unnoticed for years until a team of Columbia Law School faculty and students found that DeLuna almost certainly was innocent. This book documents DeLuna's conviction, which was based on a single, nighttime, cross-ethnic eyewitness identification with no corroborating forensic evidence. DeLuna's defense, that another man named Carlos had committed the crime, was not taken seriously.