[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 107 (Friday, September 10, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1591-E1592]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  MEMORIALIZING DR. CLIFFORD I. UYEDA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 9, 2004

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the achievements 
and the life of Dr. Clifford I. Uyeda, M.D., a dedicated human rights 
activist, pediatrician and a loving family man. Dr. Uyeda passed away 
of cancer on July 30, 2004 in San Francisco. He will be fondly 
remembered for his contributions to human rights and social justice 
issues, and for his service to the Japanese American community. Dr. 
Uyeda is survived by his wife, Betty Uyeda.
  Clifford Iwao Uyeda was born in Olympia, Washington on January 14, 
1917 to Matsutaro and Kimiyo Uyeda. He attended the University of 
Wisconsin and Tulane University medical school. During the Korean War, 
Dr. Uyeda served as an Army doctor and as a captain in the United 
States Air Force.
  In 1953, Dr. Uveda moved to San Francisco. where be worked as a 
pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente for more than twenty years. In 
addition to touching the lives of countless children and their 
families, Dr. Uyeda was committed to human rights, social justice and 
service. He was active in many medical and community organizations and 
served as editor of Nikkei Heritage, a quarterly journal.
  After retiring from medicine in 1975, Dr. Uyeda turned to full-time 
activism. In an era when the United States government did not recognize 
the grievances of its Japanese American population, who had been 
disenfranchised during the Second World War, Dr. Uyeda was instrumental 
in fighting for their rights.
  During his tenure as president of the national Japanese American 
Citizen's League, Dr. Uyeda helped push for a federal Commission on 
Wartime Relocation and Internment of Citizens, which eventually led to 
a formal apology and monetary compensation for surviving internees. He 
was also part of the successful ``Tokyo Rose'' campaign to clear the 
name and reinstate the citizenship of Iva Toguri, an American who had 
been falsely accused of treason during World War II.
  Dr. Uyeda was a proud advocate of Japanese American rights but, 
foremost, he was dedicated to social and historical justice. In 1998, 
he helped establish the Rape of Nanking Redress Committee to raise 
awareness about Japanese military atrocities committed during World War 
II. As president and member of the National Japanese American 
Historical Society, he was determined to seek and disseminate the 
truth, even if it was painful or incriminating.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the loss of Dr. Clifford Uyeda. 
His commitment to human rights and social justice has left an indelible 
mark on the countless individuals he helped over his distinguished 
lifetime. He will be fondly remembered by his family, friends and 
members of the local and national communities he worked so passionately 
and unselfishly to serve.

[[Page E1592]]



                          ____________________