[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 7 (Wednesday, January 28, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S317-S318]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING PAUL M. IGASAKI, FORMER VICE CHAIR, U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT 
                         OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I recognize Paul Igasaki, a Chicago 
native, for his contributions to the important work of advancing our 
civil rights. Mr. Igasaki has dedicated his entire professional career 
to ensuring justice for the powerless in our society who are often 
neglected and ignored.
  In his most recent years of public service as a commissioner, vice 
chair, and acting chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity 
Commission, EEOC, Mr. Igasaki not only enforced laws that helped 
prevent employment discrimination practices, he himself broke the glass 
ceiling as the first Asian American appointed to the high office.
  Mr. Igasaki was successful in reducing overwhelming case backlog that 
was impairing the effective functioning of the agency. His 
recommendations led to the development of the National Enforcement Plan 
and the Priority Charge Handling Program, which have reduced the EEOC 
case inventory by over 70 percent. These structural changes have 
allowed the agency to focus on more serious cases where the EEOC's 
involvement can make a difference to the lives of American workers.
  Similarly, Mr. Igasaki cochaired an EEOC task force that recommended 
focused litigation strategy, placement of attorneys in area offices, 
and greater cooperation between attorneys and investigators in agency, 
which have led to increased law enforcement effectiveness of the 
agency.
  One of his most notable accomplishments during his term on the EEOC 
was his role in guiding the settlement of the Mitsubishi Motors of 
America case--the largest case involving sexual harassment at the 
workplace. His success with this case was influential in moving the 
Japanese government to implement gender discrimination and sexual 
harassment enforcement laws for their own country.
  In the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks, Mr. Igasaki 
brought valuable perspectives from his personal experiences as a 
Japanese American to the EEOC's efforts to combat unfair backlash and 
scapegoating of Arab Americans, South Asian Americans, Muslim or Sikh 
Americans and others who were wrongly targeted by hate and 
discrimination.
  Mr. Igasaki mother's family owned a small truck farm near San Diego. 
Like thousands of other Japanese Americans, Mr. Igasaki's grandparents 
had been in the United States for almost a half century, and like most 
immigrants

[[Page S318]]

they were proud and loyal Americans. Yet, following the devastating 
attacks at Pearl Harbor, Mr. Igasaki's family was subject to harassment 
around town and at school. One day, the FBI showed up at their home, 
and without warning, warrant or explanation, they took his grandfather 
into custody. His family would not know where he was, what his 
condition was or why he had been taken for several months. They relied 
on community rumor, knowing that other Japanese Americans had been 
arrested for no apparent reason.
  When our government issued the relocation orders for Japanese 
Americans, Mr. Igasaki's family had two weeks to give up the farm and 
nearly all of their property. Only in the horse stall that the family 
shared in the relocation center at Santa Anita Racetrack did they find 
out that Mr. Igasaki's grandfather was arrested because he was the 
secretary of the local Celery Growers Association and because he had 
taken some notes of their meetings in Japanese. Their family eventually 
reunited when they were sent to a more permanent camp in Arizona where 
they were held for the duration of World War II.
  Having experienced the pain and injustice of such treatment based on 
no reason other than their ethnic ancestry, Mr. Igasaki's became a 
passionate voice of conscience in the months following the September 
11th attacks. His voice comforted all Americans who faced 
discrimination at the workplace because of their ancestry or 
appearance, and the work of the EEOC was that much more important 
because of Mr. Igasaki's presence.
  His voice has also been an important one in the development of the 
national Asian American civil rights movement. Mr. Igasaki has served 
as the Washington, DC, representative of the Japanese American Citizens 
League, executive director of the Asian Law Caucus, and executive 
director of the City of Chicago's Commission on Asian American Affairs.
  A more detailed list of Mr. Igasaki's accomplishments is described in 
a resolution that the national board of the Japanese American Citizens 
League recently adopted. I ask unanimous consent that this resolution 
be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

 Resolution in Appreciation of and Commending Paul M. Igasaki for His 
         Service on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

       Whereas, Paul M. Igasaki served our nation on the Equal 
     Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) with distinction for 
     eight years from 1994 to 2002;
       Whereas, Mr. Igasaki was initially nominated by President 
     Clinton and confirmed by the United States Senate in 1994, 
     served as Acting Chairman from January to October 1998 and 
     was confirmed for a second term as Vice Chair on October 21, 
     1998;
       Whereas, Mr. Igasaki was the first Asian Pacific American 
     to serve in these positions at the EEOC;
       Whereas, Mr. Igasaki was the architect of the EEOC's 
     strategy for handling job discrimination charges more 
     efficiently which resulted in the prosecution of egregious 
     cases of discrimination and a reduction in charge inventory 
     by more than 50%;
       Whereas, Mr. Igasaki sought support for and the approval of 
     the EEOC's historic FY 1999 budget increase for this 
     important but under-funded agency;
       Whereas, Mr. Igasaki endeavored to ensure equal employment 
     opportunities through his work as a Commissioner at the EEOC 
     as well as by promoting diversity in hiring at all levels of 
     the agency--in the Washington, DC headquarters and in the 
     regional offices;
       Whereas, Mr. Igasaki's outreach to historically underserved 
     communities and his understanding of the harm of ethnic 
     profiling made him an invaluable resource at the EEOC, 
     promoting an environment which allowed those affected by 
     employment discrimination in the aftermath of the horrific 
     attacks on 9/11 to report their cases;
       Whereas, Mr. Igasaki was recommended for another term at 
     the EEOC by Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle in May 2002;
       Whereas, despite Mr. Igasaki's notable achievements and 
     years of dedicated service as a committed and competent 
     public servant at the EEOC, the White House declined to 
     nominate him for another term;
       Whereas, failing to be renominated, Mr. Igasaki's term 
     expired, and he left the EEOC at the end of 2002;
       Whereas, Mr. Igasaki has a long and distinguished track-
     record of working on important civil rights issues through 
     such organizations as the Asian Law Caucus, the City of 
     Chicago's Human Relations Commission, the Chicago Commission 
     on Asian American Affairs and the American Bar Association;
       Whereas, Mr. Igasaki has also been a long-time member of 
     the JACL, having served as the President of the Chicago 
     chapter and as the Washington, DC Representative where he 
     worked on the Civil Rights Act, immigration reform and was a 
     crucial voice in implementing the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 
     and the Office of Redress Administration;
       Whereas, Mr. Igasaki has always maintained a staunch 
     commitment to and involvement in the Asian Pacific American 
     community and the issues facing our community;
       Whereas, Mr. Igasaki has received numerous professional and 
     personal accolades for his achievements;
       Therefore be it resolved that the National Board of the 
     Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) on behalf of the 
     entire organization highly commends Paul M. Igasaki for his 
     years of dedicated service at the Equal Employment 
     Opportunity Commission and extends our deepest gratitude to 
     him for his work on behalf of all Americans to combat 
     discrimination in the workplace;
       Be it further resolved that the Japanese American Citizens 
     League recognizes and appreciates the considerable 
     contributions made by Paul M. Igasaki as an advocate for 
     civil rights and role model for the Asian Pacific American 
     community;
       Be it further resolved that the Japanese American Citizens 
     League thanks Paul M. Igasaki for his tireless efforts to 
     promote and defend civil rights, civil liberties and equality 
     before the law.

  Mr. DURBIN. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 
important achievements of Mr. Paul Igasaki, and wishing him well in his 
future efforts to advance civil rights of all Americans.

                          ____________________