[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 24 (Wednesday, March 1, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H478-H479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HISTORY OF THE INTERNMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember a day that many 
Americans, loyal Americans and true patriots of this country rise to 
remember as well during the month of February.
  February 19 marks an important day of remembrance for many Americans 
who remember the ravages of World War II and many Americans who 
suffered from the ravages of World War II.
  February 19, 1942, is the year in which Executive Order 9066 was 
signed, and this was the order that called for the exclusion and 
internment of all Japanese Americans living on the west coast during 
World War II.
  I wish to join with my colleague Mr. Mike Honda, and other of my 
colleagues who will speak today, to recognize the hard work and 
struggle of so many Americans who for years have been loyal to this 
country, who finally

[[Page H479]]

were rewarded for their loyalty with the recognition they deserve for 
having served this country and having always considered it their love.
  This year happens to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1981 hearings 
by the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. 
This commission concluded in 1983 that the internment of Japanese 
Americans was a result of racism and wartime hysteria back in the 
1940s.
  Five years after publishing its findings, then-President Ronald 
Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 that provided an official 
apology and financial redress to most of the Japanese Americans who 
were subjected to wrongdoing and who were confined in U.S. internment 
camps during World War II.
  Those loyal Americans were vindicated finally by the fact that we 
have never once found even a single case of sabotage or espionage 
involving a Japanese American during World War II. The Civil Liberties 
Act of 1988 was a culmination of half a century of struggle to bring 
justice to those whom it had been denied. I am proud that our Nation 
did the right thing.
  But 18 years after the passage of the Civil Liberties Act, there 
still remains unfinished work to completely rectify and close this 
regrettable chapter in our Nation's history.
  Between December 1941 and February 1948, approximately 2,300 men, 
women and children of Japanese ancestry became the victims of mass 
abduction and forced deportation from 13 Latin American countries to 
the U.S.
  During World War II, the U.S. Government orchestrated and financed 
the deportation of Japanese Latin Americans to be used as hostages in 
exchange for Americans held by Japan. Over 800 individuals were 
included in two prisoner-of-war exchanges between the U.S. and Japan. 
The remaining Japanese Latin Americans were imprisoned in internment 
camps without the benefit of due process rights until after the end of 
the war.

                              {time}  1700

  Japanese Latin Americans were not only subjected to gross violations 
of civil rights in the U.S. by being forced into internment camps much 
like their Japanese American counterparts, but additionally, they were 
victims of human rights abuses merely because of their ethnic origin.
  Today, I want to announce that I soon will be introducing legislation 
that will create a commission to study the relocation, internment, and 
deportation of Japanese Latin Americans. It is the right thing to do to 
affirm our commitment to democracy and the rule of law by exploring 
this unclosed chapter in our history.
  Just 2 weeks ago, I had the privilege of joining with citizens in Los 
Angeles, in my home city, at the Japanese American National Museum to 
commemorate the Day of Remembrance. This day, first observed in 1978 in 
Seattle, has become very important in the Japanese American community. 
It is a time to reflect, to educate, and to act.
  As we meet today to remember and reflect on the tragedy that innocent 
people experienced during World War II, it is my hope our government 
will continue to strive to right any wrongs and to prove once again 
that the strength of our national values and our eye towards redemption 
will continue to guide us. A necessary first step to achieving this 
altruistic goal is swift passage of the legislation which I will soon 
be introducing.
  Mr. Speaker, today we should remember because many Americans have.

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