Is there any way we can
make up for what we did to our fellow Americans during World War II? Even if we
reimbursed them for their financial losses—their homes and businesses—how do
you put a monetary value on family heirlooms? More importantly, how can we make
reparations for taking away freedom and dignity?
We can’t.
Still, America has a
responsibility to do what it can. Several years after the war ended, those
affected by the forced move were given the opportunity to file claims for
damage to or loss of property, with a $2,500 limit. The Federal Reserve Bank
estimated the losses at approximately $400 million, but less than a tenth of
that was paid out as a result of the claims process.* Even those claiming less
than the $2,500 limit received only a fraction of what they asked for.
In 1981, Congress
established the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians.
The Commission held 20 days of hearings all around the country and heard more
than 750 witnesses. It concluded that Executive Order 9066 and the subsequent
events were not justified by military necessity but resulted from “race
prejudice, war hysteria and a failure of political leadership.” It recommended
that the United States issue an apology and make payments of $20,000 to each of
the survivors. This was still a miniscule sum compared to the actual losses,
but the Commission may have been concerned about the affect that larger amounts
would have on the U.S. Treasury.**
Congress accepted these
recommendations in what became the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which President
Reagan signed into law on August 10, 1988. The formal letters of apology came
from President Bush and accompanied the payments that began in October 1990 but
were made—as recommended—only to those who still survived.
To me, the apology is
worth more than the money. But there is a better way to show that we are sorry
for what America did to its Japanese citizens and permanent residents.
It’s easy to say that we
would never do the same thing today. But wouldn’t we? Human nature doesn’t change,
and living in a country that extols freedom and diversity doesn’t make us immune.
In my opinion, the best reaction to our past is to know it, to realize that
what happened to the Japanese Americans could occur again (although probably to
a different group), and to work hard to keep it from happening.
Because complacency
ensures that it will.
__________
* My resources
agreed on the Federal Reserve Board estimate and the $2,500 limit, but they
were not consistent as to the amount that was actually paid. I have used the
higher amount of “less than $40 million,” but it might have been significantly
less.
** Based on the CPI Inflation Calculator from the Bureau
of Labor Statistics, $400 million in 1942 dollars would have been $2.4 billion
in 1982 dollars. By 1990, when the payments began, that amount had risen to
$3.2 billion.
__________
The photograph at the
head of this post was taken at Manzanar War Relocation Center on July 3, 1943.
If you look closely, you can see a dust storm in the background. Dorothea Lange
took the picture as part of her official duties as an employee of the United
States government. Because it is a government document, the photo is in the
public domain.
