WHEREAS, On August 10, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act to compensate more than 120,000 Japanese Americans who were incarcerated in America’s concentration camps during World War II; and

WHEREAS, The legislation offered the government’s apology and paid out $20,000 in compensation to each surviving victim; and

WHEREAS, Decades after the end of World War II, and inspired by the civil rights movement, the Japanese American Citizens League, the National Council for Japanese American Redress, and the National Coalition for Redress and Reparations responded to the community’s demands for redress and reparations; and

WHEREAS, In 1980, the United States Congress responded by establishing a commission to investigate the legacy of the camps and to recommend appropriate remedies; and

WHEREAS, The commission conducted extensive interviews and personal testimonies from over 750 victims and concerned citizens; and

WHEREAS, In its final report, the commission called the incarceration a “grave injustice” motivated by “racial prejudice, war hysteria, and the failure of political leadership” and recommended monetary compensation; and

WHEREAS, Japanese Americans then serving in the United States Congress, including Robert Matsui and Norm Mineta, helped turn that report into legislative language, providing for tax-free compensation and a formal apology with Senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga providing critical support for the bill’s passage and funding; and

WHEREAS, The Civil Liberties Act of 1988, “Restitution for World War II internment of Japanese Americans and Aleuts,” states that it is intended to, among other things: (1) acknowledge the fundamental injustice of the evacuation, relocation, and internment, (2) apologize on behalf of the people of the United States, and (3) make restitution to those individuals who were victims of this injustice; and

WHEREAS, The act also acknowledges the injustices suffered and unreasonable hardships endured by Japanese Americans and the 881 Aleut residents who were under United States control during World War II, including personal and community property taken or destroyed by the United States Armed Forces during the war; and

WHEREAS, The act provided for a public education fund to finance efforts to inform the public about the unwarranted incarceration of innocent civilians, so as to prevent the recurrence of any similar event; now, therefore, be it event; and