[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 79 (Monday, May 24, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E922]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING NISEI DIPLOMA PROJECT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 24, 2010

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate all of 
the 2010 Honorary Bachelor of Humane Letters degree recipients through 
the Nisei Diploma Project. All honorees will be recognized on Thursday, 
May 20, 2010 at a special awards ceremony to be held at California 
State University, Fresno.
  During World War II, an estimated two hundred and fifty Japanese-
American and Japanese immigrant students from California State 
University, CSU, campuses across the state had their education abruptly 
interrupted when Executive Order 9066 was executed in 1942. These 
students were forcefully removed from the west coast and incarcerated 
for the duration of the war. Once released many of these former 
students went to work and did not return to school.
  On September 23, 2009 the California State University Board of 
Trustees unanimously voted to award Special Honorary Bachelor of Humane 
Letters degrees to the CSU students that were affected by the Executive 
Order, known as the Nisei Diploma Project. Through the passage of this 
project, CSU strives to heal the wounds of the Japanese-Americans 
living in California during World War II. By identifying the former 
students enrolled in the CSU system when the order was initially 
passed, they will honor the academic intentions of the Japanese-
American students enrolled at the time by presenting an honorary degree 
to the former students or their families and welcoming the former 
students back to the campus.
  California State University, Fresno has determined that there are 
eighty-seven eligible students through the Nisei Diploma Project. 
Today, they are honoring all eighty-seven students and presenting a 
Special Honorary Bachelor of Humane Letters degree to nineteen of those 
students.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate the 2010 
Honorary Bachelor of Humane Letters degree recipients through the Nisei 
Diploma Project. I invite my colleagues to join me in congratulating 
all of the honorees.

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