[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 14, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E179-E180]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   IN COMMEMORATION OF THE DAY OF REMEMBRANCE RE-INTRODUCTION OF THE 
                 WARTIME PARITY AND JUSTICE ACT OF 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. XAVIER BECERRA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 14, 2001

  Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday I will enjoy the privilege of 
joining with citizens in Los Angeles at the historic Japanese American 
National Museum dedicated in its mission to ``remembering our history 
to better guard against the prejudice that threatens liberty and 
equality in a democratic society,'' in commemorating the Day of 
Remembrance. Truly by reflecting on our history we secure the promise 
of the ``streets of gold'' that our ancestors dreamed about. An America 
ripe with opportunity for all people--and a spirit refined by our 
struggles to build a brighter future as we secure the riches of the 
blessings of liberty.
  On Saturday, we will gather to remember a solemn past so we can look 
onward towards a future of promise. We look back solemnly to a 
relocation center at Rohwer Arkansas where a young boy was forced to 
spend much of his childhood. But we see a more promising future as this 
boy, Los Angeles' very own, George Takei, overcame that experience to 
become a household name as an original cast member of one of America's 
most celebrated television programs. We look back solemnly at a 
relocation center called Heart Mountain in Wyoming where another 
innocent young boy was stripped of his freedom. But we see a more 
promising future as this boy, Norman Mineta, became the first Asian 
Pacific American ever to serve on a presidential cabinet. We look back 
solemnly as mothers and fathers stood behind barbed wires branded as 
traitors to the very flag for which their sons fought as valiant 
soldiers of the 442nd Combat Regiment. They helped secure our freedom 
even as we robbed that very freedom from their loved ones. But we look 
to a more promising future as last year President Clinton finally 
awarded this country's highest military citation, the Medal of Honor, 
to 22 of these heroes. Those medals are just a dim reflection of the 
brilliance of their courage and resilience. We can never repay their 
sacrifice for our nation.
  These are the ones who have worked tirelessly to bring us where we 
are today. But there is still much more work that needs to be done. 
This year's Day of Remembrance theme behind which we gather, ``Building 
a Stronger Community Through Civil Rights and Redress'' is 
appropriately fitting as we work together towards the America we dream 
of today. Together we have achieved much but there is still much more 
left to do. I am proud to continue our struggle for civil rights. Along 
with the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I worked this 
last year in Congress to secure needed funding to build a memorial 
center right outside of Los Angeles at the Manzanar relocation center. 
My colleagues and I wanted to make sure that the camp stands to remind 
us never to erect another one again. We must remember our past so we 
can build a better future. Further, during the 106th Congress we worked 
in combating the sickness of hate motivated crimes, establishing the 
first ever Presidential Commission on Asian Pacific Americans, 
defending bilingual education, enabling minority owned businesses, and 
fighting against the troubling trend of racial profiling.
  This year I followed closely the story which our keynote speaker, Ms. 
Alberta Lee, will speak about. Indeed, Mr. Wen Ho Lee's case sent 
shockwaves not only through the Asian Pacific American community but 
through all of us dedicated to civil rights--and those of us who know 
our history. Fifty-nine years ago after the tragic bombing of Pearl 
Harbor an entire group of American's became suspect and victims of 
racial profiling. The only ``evidence'' the United States had against 
them was the color of their skin. Unfortunately that was enough for 
President Franklin Roosevelt

[[Page E180]]

to sign Executive Order 9066. And so without a trial, more than 100,000 
people of Japanese descent lost their freedom. It was not until 1983 
that a Presidential Commission characterized the internment as an act 
of racism and wartime hysteria. After all those years the government 
never uncovered even a single case of sabotage or espionage committed 
by an American of Japanese ancestry during the war. Yet more than 
100,000 people had already lost their
  The second part of this year's Day of Remembrance theme is redress. 
Truly in order to move forward we must address the wounds of the past. 
After decades of struggle, President Reagan signed the historic Civil 
Liberties Act into law that finally gave redress to those who suffered 
by our government's mistakes.
  We celebrate this victory even today because the achievement remains 
monumental. However, we are still only looking over the horizon as we 
look forward to a new day when this chapter of our history is finally 
brought to a close. The sun has not risen on the new day because it has 
not yet set on the old. There is still unfinished work that must be 
done before we can move forward into a brighter future.
  Last year, I introduced bi-partisan legislation in Congress to finish 
the remaining work of redress. While most Americans are aware of the 
internment of Japanese Americans, few know about our government's 
activities in other countries resulting from prejudice held against 
people of Japanese ancestry. Recorded thoroughly in government files, 
the U.S. government involved itself in the expulsion and internment of 
an estimated 2,000 people of Japanese descent who lived in various 
Latin American countries. Uprooted from their homes and forced into the 
United States, these civilians were robbed of their freedom as they 
were kidnapped from nations not even directly involved in World War II. 
These individuals are still waiting for equitable redress, and justice 
cries out for them to receive it. That is why today I re-introduced the 
Wartime Parity and Justice Act of 2001 to finally turn the last page in 
this chapter of our nation's history.
  This bill provides redress to every Japanese Latin American 
individual forcibly removed and interned in the United States. These 
people paid a tremendous price during one of our nation's most trying 
times. Indeed, America accomplished much during that great struggle. As 
we celebrate our great achievements as a nation let us also recognize 
our errors and join together as a nation to correct those mistakes. My 
legislation is the right thing to do to affirm our commitment to 
democracy and the rule of law.
  In addition, the Wartime Parity and Justice Act of 2001 provides 
relief to Japanese Americans confined in this country but who never 
received redress under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 given 
technicalities in the original law. Our laws must always establish 
justice. They should never deny it. That is why these provisions ensure 
that every American who suffered the same injustices will receive the 
same justice. Finally, we come today to remember because through 
remembrance scars are healed and we become more careful to guard 
against the same injuries again. That is why my legislation will 
reauthorize the educational mandate in the 1988 Act which was never 
fulfilled. This will etch this chapter of our nation's history in our 
national conscience for generations to come as a reminder never to 
repeat it again.
  Let us renew our resolve to build a better future for our community 
through civil rights and redress as we dedicate ourselves to 
remembering how we compromised liberty in the past. This will help us 
to guard it more closely in the future. I look forward to working with 
my colleagues to pass this much needed legislation.

                          ____________________