Duckworth, Hirono, Takano Renew Push to Prevent Atrocities like Mass Japanese American Internment from Happening Again
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, on the anniversary of Executive Order 9066 that began the horrific internment of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and U.S. Representative Mark Takano (D-CA-39) re-introduced the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act, a bill that would establish a clear legal prohibition against un-American policies that seek to imprison individuals solely on the basis of race, religion, nationality, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity or disability. As President Donald Trump and his Administration continue their dangerous efforts to whitewash and ignore our nation’s history, passing this bill would be a first step toward recognizing this dark chapter, honoring the families impacted and safeguarding vital freedoms that are supposed to protect all Americans against arbitrary imprisonment or detention with no due process, as happened to Japanese Americans during World War II.
“Our nation must never forget or repeat the horrors thousands of innocent Japanese Americans experienced as prisoners within our own borders,” said Senator Duckworth. “While Donald Trump and his allies seek to suppress the dark chapters of our nation’s history, I’m proud to reintroduce this bill with Senator Hirono and Congressman Takano to reaffirm our commitment to upholding constitutional principles and safeguarding civil liberties in honor of Fred Korematsu and in remembrance of my dear friend and former colleague, Mark Takai. Only by recognizing our nation’s most shameful mistakes can we learn from them and help ensure horrific tragedies like these never happen again.”
“On this Day of Remembrance, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that blatant attacks on civil liberties, such as the incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans, never occur again,” said Senator Hirono. “Amidst continued attacks on vulnerable communities, I am proud to reintroduce this legislation to safeguard and protect our vital freedoms in honor of the legacies of Fred Korematsu and Congressman Mark Takai.”
“It is only right that we introduce this bill with the Korematsu and Takai name on the Japanese American Day of Remembrance,” said Congressman Takano. “Their legacies of standing up for what is right and fighting for Japanese Americans incarcerated at the hands of our government is a reminder that human rights require a commitment from us all. I am proud to reintroduce this legislation to ensure the dignity of all people and so that the horror my family and tens of thousands of other Japanese Americans experienced never happens again.”
This legislation is named in honor of the late U.S. Congressman Mark Takai from Hawai‘i for his long-time leadership on this issue prior to his passing, and Fred Korematsu, who bravely challenged the Civilian Executive Order in the Supreme Court that directed all people of Japanese ancestry be removed from designated areas on the West Coast.
In 1942, the Lieutenant General of the Western Command of the Army issued Civilian Exclusion Order 34, which directed that all people of Japanese ancestry be removed from designated areas of the West Coast because they were considered to pose a threat to national security. Fred Korematsu challenged that Civilian Exclusion Order. However, on December 18, 1944, the Supreme Court upheld his conviction in Korematsu v. United States. The Non-Detention Act of 1971 sought to remedy this problem by repudiating the legal framework allowing the government to detain U.S. citizens by deeming them national security risks. However, the Non-Detention Act did not specifically bar detentions or imprisonment based on characteristics such as race or religion. The Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act would fix this problem once and for all.
Along with Duckworth and Hirono, the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Peter Welch (D-VT), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tina Smith (D-MN).
Along with Takano, the legislation is co-led by U.S. Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA-07) and Jill Tokuda (D-HI-02).
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