TITLE: JAPANESE-AMERICANS INTERNED DURING WORLD WAR II

SPEAKER: HON. LEON E. PANETTA OF CALIFORNIA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

TEXT: Text that appears in UPPER CASE identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the House on the floor.

MR. PANETTA. MR. SPEAKER, I AM PLEASED TO RISE TODAY TO BRING TO THE ATTENTION OF THIS DISTINGUISHED BODY A REPORT PREPARED BY THE REDRESS COMMITTEE OF THE SALINAS VALLEY CHAPTER OF THE JAPANESE-AMERICAN CITIZENS LEAGUE. THIS REPORT PROVIDES JUSTIFICATION FOR PROVIDING FINANCIAL REDRESS TO THOSE AMERICANS OF JAPANESE DESCENT WHO WERE INTERNED DURING WORLD WAR II.

MY COLLEAGUES KNOW THAT THIS IS A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE THAT HAS SOUGHT SOLUTION FOR OVER 40 YEARS. ALTHOUGH ALL AMERICANS OF JAPANESE ANCESTRY ON THE WEST COAST WERE INTERNED DURING WORLD WAR II, FULLY 75 PERCENT OF THESE INTERNEES WERE AMERICAN-BORN. THEY WERE HELD IN VIOLATION OF SEVEN ARTICLES OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION WITHOUT CHARGE, TRIAL, OR EVIDENCE OF DISLOYALTY OR ESPIONAGE. SOME WERE HELD UNTIL OCTOBER 1946. NOT ONLY WERE THE INTERNEES SUBJECT TO EMOTIONAL TRAUMA, THEY SUFFERED ENORMOUS FINANCIAL AND MATERIAL DAMAGES, AS WELL AS THE DISRUPTION OF MANY YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE. IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED BY THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMISSION ON WARTIME RELOCATION AND INTERNMENT OF CIVILIANS [CWRIC] THAT THESE FINANCIAL LOSSES WOULD BE THE EQUIVALENT OF AS MUCH AS $2 BILLION IN 1983 DOLLARS.

MR. SPEAKER, CONGRESS IS PRESENTLY CONSIDERING H.R. 442, THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1985, WHICH WOULD FORMALLY ACCEPT THE FINDINGS OF THE CWRIC AND RECOGNIZE THAT A GRAVE INJUSTICE WAS DONE TO BOTH CITIZENS AND RESIDENT ALIENS OF JAPANESE ANCESTRY BY THE EVACUATION, RELOCATION, AND INTERNMENT OF CIVILIANS DURING WORLD WAR II. THIS LEGISLATION WOULD INVOLVE LEGAL PARDONS AND FINANCIAL RESTITUTION TO THOSE WHO SUFFERED DURING THE INTERN PERIOD.

RECENTLY, I WAS CONTACTED BY THE REDRESS COMMITTEE OF THE SALINAS VALLEY CHAPTER OF THE JAPANESE AMERICAN CITIZENS LEAGUE. THE GROUP HAD PREPARED AN INFORMATION SHEET ANALYZING THIS ISSUE AND I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SUMMARIZE THIS REPORT FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD.

ON FEBRUARY 10, 1942, 10 WEEKS AFTER AMERICA'S ENTRANCE IN THE WAR, PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSVELT SIGNED EXECUTIVE ORDER 9066 GIVING THE SECRETARY OF WAR AND REGIONAL MILITARY COMMANDERS THE POWER TO EXCLUDE ANY AND ALL PERSONS FROM DESIGNATED AREAS FOR SECURITY REASONS. IN THE END, MORE THAN 120,000 PERSONS OF JAPANESE ANCESTRY -- TWO-THIRDS OF WHOM WERE AMERICAN CITIZENS -- WERE UPROOTED FROM ALONG THE COASTS OF CALIFORNIA, OREGON, AND WASHINGTON AND INTERNED IN REMOTE RELOCATION CENTERS.

THE INTERNMENT VIOLATED SEVEN ARTICLES OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION INCLUDING ARTICLE I WHICH GUARANTEES FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY, ARTICLE IV WHICH GUARANTEES FREEDOM FROM UNREASONABLE SEARCH AND SEIZURE, AND ARTICLE VI WHICH PROVIDES FOR THE RIGHT TO A SPEEDY, PUBLIC TRIAL.

FAMILIES THAT ARE INTERNED COULD TAKE ONLY WHAT THEY COULD CARRY. INTERNEES WERE HOUSED IN TAR-PAPER BARRACKS, WITH ONE FAMILY OR MORE PER BARRACK. PRIVACY WAS PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE AND DOCTORS WERE IN SHORT SUPPLY. SCHOOLS WERE CONDUCTED WITH INADEQUATE FACILITES AND WITH BOOKS ONLY WHEN THEY WERE AVAILABLE.

THOSE WHO EXPERIENCED THE CAMPS CARRIED THE STIGMA WITH THEM AS A RESULT OF THE DEFAMATION OF CHARACTER, EMOTIONAL AND PSCHYOLOGICAL TRAUMA, AND LOSS OF LIVELIHOOD AND INCOME. THE JAPANESE AMERICA INTERNEES SUFFERED ENORMOUS DAMAGES AND LOSSES, BOTH MATERIAL AND INTANGIBLE. TO THE DIASTROUS LOSS OF FARMS, BUSINESSES AND HOMES, MUST SURELY BE ADDED THE DISRUPTION OF MANY YEARS OF CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES, AS WELL AS LONG-TERM LOSS OF INCOME, EARNINGS AND OPPORTUNTY, AND THEIR LIFETIME SAVINGS AND ASSETS.

AN ANALYSIS BY THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMISSION ON WARTIME RELOCATION AND INTERNMENT OF CIVILIANS [CWRIC] OF THE ECONOMIC LOSSES SUFFERED AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE EXCLUSION AND DETENTION ESTIMATED THAT IN 1945 DOLLARS, THE INTERNEES LOST BETWEEN $106 AND $164 MILLION IN INCOME AND BETWEEN $41 AND $208 MILLION IN PROPERTY FOR WHICH NO COMPENSATION WAS MADE AFTER THE WAR. AFTER ADJUSTING FOR INFLATION, THESE FIGURES AMOUNT TO UP TO $2 BILLION.

IN 1981, THE CWRIC CALLED 750 WITNESSES TO APPEAR BEFORE HEARINGS ON THIS ISSUE. AS A RESULT OF THESE HEARINGS, THE CWRIC RECOMMENDED THAT CONGRESS PASS A JOINT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE INJUSTICES DONE TO INTERNEES AND OFFERING A FORMAL APOLOGY. IN ADDITION, THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDED THAT FINANCIAL REDRESS BE PROVIDED TO INTERNEES OR THE SURVIVORS AND THAT A FUND BE ESTABLISHED FOR EDUCATIONAL AND HUMANITARIAN PURPOSES.

THE REDRESS COMMITTEE OF THE SALINAS VALLEY CHAPTER OF THE JAPANESE AMERICAN CITIZENS LEAGUE SUPPORTS H.R. 442, WHICH WOULD ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CWRIC. THE REDRESS COMMITTEE BELIEVES THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE UNITED STATES TO RECOGNIZE THAT AN INJUSTICE WAS DONE AND PROVIDE COMPENSATION FOR THIS INJUSTICE SO THAT A SIMILAR POLICY WILL NEVER AGAIN BE ALLOWED. WHEN THE RIGHTS OF THE FEW ARE IN JEOPARDY, AFTER ALL, THE RIGHTS OF THE MANY ARE ALSO IN DANGER.