LOS ANGELES – Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31) was at the Hastings College of Law in San Francisco today to deliver opening remarks to the Assembly on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians’ weekend symposium, “Justice Delayed is Justice Denied.” The two-day event is focusing on the personal testimonies of U.S. citizens and immigrants of Japanese, German and Italian ancestry in the U.S. and from Latin America, who have not received proper acknowledgment for the violation of their civil and human rights during their World War II internment.
“This event is a crucial step toward closing this chapter in our history where we committed errors that stain the American character,” Rep. Becerra said.
Rep. Becerra is the author of the Wartime Parity and Justice Act of 2005 (H.R. 893), a bill that if passed would provide equitable redress to Japanese Latin Americans forcibly removed, at the urging of our government, from various Latin American countries and interned in the United States during WWII.
“The testimonies of those who understand what happened in the past will help highlight the need for this important legislation,” Rep. Becerra said. “This assembly provides invaluable records of living histories, which are more vivid teachers than a story in a history book.”
Rep. Becerra continued, “The time to act is now. Too many decades have passed without this wrong being made right. And with each passing day that this generation grows smaller, this already-affordable legislation becomes less and less expensive – a grave injustice to the families who deserve redress.”
Few are aware of the U.S. government’s activities in other countries resulting from prejudice against people of Japanese ancestry. The government was involved in the expulsion and internment of an estimated 2,000 people living in Latin American countries during WWII.
“I thank everyone for showing your support here today,” Rep. Becerra said. “This will give us an opportunity to remember, reflect, report and respond on the events of the past that led to justice being denied.”
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