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H62S2 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE Augusts, 1988 This is 4ong overdue legislation designed to address the personal and financial injuries caused by Hie internment of over 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry during most of Wortf War H. Some erroneously inew this-legislation as a "gift" to internees. Nothing could be further from the truth. This legislation is a gift from the internees to each American who loves and respects our Constitution. Because what this legislation says is that we, in the Congress, recognize the enormous btunder and disrespect 1or constitutional liberties which the internment -was, and that we vow never to permit it to reoccur. The Constitution of the United States guarantees the rights of all citizens, including Japanese-Americans, in times of peace as well as ■during times of war. This legislation sends a clear message to our people that as a country, we win constantly uphold these rights for ail the racial groups, the ethnic -groups and the social groups which are part of this country. The internment of Japanese-Americans was ordered as a result of the conclusions of military leaders that Japanese-Americans—regardless bow Jong they had lived here or their unqualified loyalty to America—posed a military threat to the United States. That conclusion was not based on facts; it was not based on law. it was based on racism pure and simple. In fact, during the war. not a single person of Japanese descent was convicted of espionage. Japanese-Americans were no different from the Americans of German and Italian descent who iiad come to America seeking political and economic freedom. Yet they suffered a fate far more cruel and unjust than any other immigrant group. I take this matter very personally, because among the children with whom i grew up the northern California in the 1940's were many whose parents and siblings were assigned to ■internment camps. Many of these Japanese- Americans of Contra Costa Courtly were farmers and small business people who lost their possessions because of the internment policy. In my district alone, the internment forced 1,200 people to leave their jobs, friends and Oossessionsto spend up to 4 years in permanent relocation camps. One of those Contra Costans, Chiveko Tallica, was ..kicky enough to have Caucasian friends with whom she hurriedly stored family china and other heirlooms before she Jeft for over 3 years internment in Topaz, UT. Many others were not so lucky and returned to find that the bams where they had hidden their belongings had been looted or burned. Beyond the material loss was the phsycho- logical damage of having been suddenly uprooted and labeled a potential traitor. Over 7.000 of the internees were children less than 5 years old. These children were scared by the strains of overcrowded, impoverished living behind chain4ink fences. Most of them •fortunately survived the internment experience, returned home, and began reconstructing their fives, burdened by financial loss and social stigma. And admirably, they maintained faith in a country that had broken faith with them. ■Forty years after .that tragic period of American history, it falls to this Congress and this generation of America to make amends for the past error. In authorizing 520,000 to-each surviving -internee, we -make only a symbolic effort to compensate these Japanese-Americans for their years of hardship. Twenty thousand dollars is not a great sum when we consider that settlements of up to 510.000 were made for only 1 night of false imprisonment during the Vietnam protests of the late sixties. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation, and we as Americans should be proud that.we have finally the courage to confront this unpleasant chapter in our Nation's history and attempt however symbolically, to right the wrongs, in approving this conference report, we do tar more than acknowledge our rJebt to the interned Japanese-American citizens of the 1940's. We reiterate our national commitment to the primacy of our Constitution and the rule of law which can be diminished neither by racial distinctions or the passage of time. By admitting to our past mistakes, we are a Better and more united country today. It is imperative that we give this conference report our overwhelming support and never again allow the constitutional rights of any group of citizens to be swept away by the powerful tides of prejudice and irrationality. Mr. FRANK Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. Mr. Speaker, a number of people have been very concerned with this bill. We have benefited from the support of the Speaker, the majority leader, the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary who exercised their leadership. One of those who was entitled to claim authorship of this bill because he filed the first version consistent with his genuine concern lor the rights of all people is our colleague, the gentleman from the State of Washington [Mr. LowrtJ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington IMr. LowhyJ. D 2200 (Mr. LOWRY of Washington asked and was given permission to revise and extend his Temarks.) Mr. LOWRY of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the conference report on HJt. 442.1 think most of us in this country realize that the real strength of the United States is our Bill of Rights and constitutional protections of individual liberties, that that is what really sets our country apart from types of governments that we really do not agree with. So the basic issue that is before us and is addressed by the successful passage of this conference report tomorrow and the President signing it into law is that in 1942, when in that time of panic the due process rights and the Bill of Rights rights of the Americans of Japanese ancestry were violated, we are saying that was wrong and this conference report is to address that. It was, of course, especially unique and ironic that the historic and heroic 442d Battalion battle group, made up totally of Americans of Japanese ancestry, were in Europe fighting fas cism, fighting for the freedoms that this country so stands for, while at that time other Americans of Japanese ancestry were having exactly those freedoms violated by being put into internment camps, just one of the many examples of the tremendous service that these Americans have been doing for our country, their country, and that their rights were being violated. I stand in strong support of this conference report. I hope that it will pass tomorrow by an overwhelming margin whereby we will say that this is what America stands for, the Bill of Rights, those constitutional protections for all individuals in this country. Again I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. SWINDALL Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Hawaii [Mrs. Saiki]. Mrs. SAtrrr Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my full support for the passage of this conference report, and to urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this historic measure. I believe this legislation is the fulfillment of a promise, Mr. Speaker, the promise of our country to provide basic civil rights to ail. Governments make mistakes, and our government is no exception. What is different, however, what distinguishes our form of government from others, is that in a democracy based on the inherent constitutional rights of individuals, mistakes must be acknowledged and compensation awarded. Acknowledgment and compensation for the tragic mistake of the internment of loyal, decent Americans is what this legislation is about. When this legislation was considered on the House floor last year. I spoke about growing up as a young person in Hawaii, and witnessing firsthand the forced relocation of many friends, neighbors, and relatives. Those memories are still with me, Mr. Chairman, and with those who were interned. I believe that the passage of this legislation will help to close this particularly unfortunate chapter in American history. A great wrong was committed when nearly 120,000 American citizens were forced from their homes and placed in desolate ""relocation centers" throughout the West and South. Nearly half of those who were interned have died. Let "us not let more time pass before we do what is right- Mr. Speaker, justice delayed is justice denied. We have waited nearly five decades for justice to be done. The time is now. I urged my colleagues to support this measure, for with its passage we shall come one step closer to fulfilling the promise of America Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California [Mr. Shumway].
Object Description
Title | August 3, 1988 |
Description | A collection of government documents is presented. In more specific, Congressional records from April 3, 1988 |
Subjects | Redress and reparations |
Type | image |
Genre | Government record |
Language | eng |
Collection | Hirasuna Family Papers |
Collection Description | 15 items |
Project Name | California State University Japanese American Digitization Project |
Rights | Rights not yet transferred |
Description
Local ID | csufr_hfp_0859 |
Project ID | csufr_hfp_0859 |
Title | Page 3 |
Creator | Unknown |
Date Created | 1988 - 08 - 03 |
Subjects | Redress and reparations |
Type | image |
Genre | Government record |
Language | eng |
Collection | Hirasuna Family Papers |
Collection Description | 8.41 x 10.90in |
Rights | Rights not yet transferred |
Transcript | H62S2 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE Augusts, 1988 This is 4ong overdue legislation designed to address the personal and financial injuries caused by Hie internment of over 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry during most of Wortf War H. Some erroneously inew this-legislation as a "gift" to internees. Nothing could be further from the truth. This legislation is a gift from the internees to each American who loves and respects our Constitution. Because what this legislation says is that we, in the Congress, recognize the enormous btunder and disrespect 1or constitutional liberties which the internment -was, and that we vow never to permit it to reoccur. The Constitution of the United States guarantees the rights of all citizens, including Japanese-Americans, in times of peace as well as ■during times of war. This legislation sends a clear message to our people that as a country, we win constantly uphold these rights for ail the racial groups, the ethnic -groups and the social groups which are part of this country. The internment of Japanese-Americans was ordered as a result of the conclusions of military leaders that Japanese-Americans—regardless bow Jong they had lived here or their unqualified loyalty to America—posed a military threat to the United States. That conclusion was not based on facts; it was not based on law. it was based on racism pure and simple. In fact, during the war. not a single person of Japanese descent was convicted of espionage. Japanese-Americans were no different from the Americans of German and Italian descent who iiad come to America seeking political and economic freedom. Yet they suffered a fate far more cruel and unjust than any other immigrant group. I take this matter very personally, because among the children with whom i grew up the northern California in the 1940's were many whose parents and siblings were assigned to ■internment camps. Many of these Japanese- Americans of Contra Costa Courtly were farmers and small business people who lost their possessions because of the internment policy. In my district alone, the internment forced 1,200 people to leave their jobs, friends and Oossessionsto spend up to 4 years in permanent relocation camps. One of those Contra Costans, Chiveko Tallica, was ..kicky enough to have Caucasian friends with whom she hurriedly stored family china and other heirlooms before she Jeft for over 3 years internment in Topaz, UT. Many others were not so lucky and returned to find that the bams where they had hidden their belongings had been looted or burned. Beyond the material loss was the phsycho- logical damage of having been suddenly uprooted and labeled a potential traitor. Over 7.000 of the internees were children less than 5 years old. These children were scared by the strains of overcrowded, impoverished living behind chain4ink fences. Most of them •fortunately survived the internment experience, returned home, and began reconstructing their fives, burdened by financial loss and social stigma. And admirably, they maintained faith in a country that had broken faith with them. ■Forty years after .that tragic period of American history, it falls to this Congress and this generation of America to make amends for the past error. In authorizing 520,000 to-each surviving -internee, we -make only a symbolic effort to compensate these Japanese-Americans for their years of hardship. Twenty thousand dollars is not a great sum when we consider that settlements of up to 510.000 were made for only 1 night of false imprisonment during the Vietnam protests of the late sixties. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation, and we as Americans should be proud that.we have finally the courage to confront this unpleasant chapter in our Nation's history and attempt however symbolically, to right the wrongs, in approving this conference report, we do tar more than acknowledge our rJebt to the interned Japanese-American citizens of the 1940's. We reiterate our national commitment to the primacy of our Constitution and the rule of law which can be diminished neither by racial distinctions or the passage of time. By admitting to our past mistakes, we are a Better and more united country today. It is imperative that we give this conference report our overwhelming support and never again allow the constitutional rights of any group of citizens to be swept away by the powerful tides of prejudice and irrationality. Mr. FRANK Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. Mr. Speaker, a number of people have been very concerned with this bill. We have benefited from the support of the Speaker, the majority leader, the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary who exercised their leadership. One of those who was entitled to claim authorship of this bill because he filed the first version consistent with his genuine concern lor the rights of all people is our colleague, the gentleman from the State of Washington [Mr. LowrtJ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington IMr. LowhyJ. D 2200 (Mr. LOWRY of Washington asked and was given permission to revise and extend his Temarks.) Mr. LOWRY of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the conference report on HJt. 442.1 think most of us in this country realize that the real strength of the United States is our Bill of Rights and constitutional protections of individual liberties, that that is what really sets our country apart from types of governments that we really do not agree with. So the basic issue that is before us and is addressed by the successful passage of this conference report tomorrow and the President signing it into law is that in 1942, when in that time of panic the due process rights and the Bill of Rights rights of the Americans of Japanese ancestry were violated, we are saying that was wrong and this conference report is to address that. It was, of course, especially unique and ironic that the historic and heroic 442d Battalion battle group, made up totally of Americans of Japanese ancestry, were in Europe fighting fas cism, fighting for the freedoms that this country so stands for, while at that time other Americans of Japanese ancestry were having exactly those freedoms violated by being put into internment camps, just one of the many examples of the tremendous service that these Americans have been doing for our country, their country, and that their rights were being violated. I stand in strong support of this conference report. I hope that it will pass tomorrow by an overwhelming margin whereby we will say that this is what America stands for, the Bill of Rights, those constitutional protections for all individuals in this country. Again I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. SWINDALL Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Hawaii [Mrs. Saiki]. Mrs. SAtrrr Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my full support for the passage of this conference report, and to urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this historic measure. I believe this legislation is the fulfillment of a promise, Mr. Speaker, the promise of our country to provide basic civil rights to ail. Governments make mistakes, and our government is no exception. What is different, however, what distinguishes our form of government from others, is that in a democracy based on the inherent constitutional rights of individuals, mistakes must be acknowledged and compensation awarded. Acknowledgment and compensation for the tragic mistake of the internment of loyal, decent Americans is what this legislation is about. When this legislation was considered on the House floor last year. I spoke about growing up as a young person in Hawaii, and witnessing firsthand the forced relocation of many friends, neighbors, and relatives. Those memories are still with me, Mr. Chairman, and with those who were interned. I believe that the passage of this legislation will help to close this particularly unfortunate chapter in American history. A great wrong was committed when nearly 120,000 American citizens were forced from their homes and placed in desolate ""relocation centers" throughout the West and South. Nearly half of those who were interned have died. Let "us not let more time pass before we do what is right- Mr. Speaker, justice delayed is justice denied. We have waited nearly five decades for justice to be done. The time is now. I urged my colleagues to support this measure, for with its passage we shall come one step closer to fulfilling the promise of America Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California [Mr. Shumway]. |