Lawmakers Japanese American Internment June 21, 1984
Lawmakers - Japanese American Internment - June 21, 1984
Cokie Roberts introduces a report on the internment of Japanese Americans during WORLD WAR II. Report on consideration by Senate of bill to compensate Japanese Americans for internment.
Lawmakers - Japanese American Internment - June 21, 1984
U.S. Navy ships exploding at Pearl Harbor. Audio of FDR "live in infamy" radio address. Burning ships, sailors attempting to escape in lifeboats.
Lawmakers - Japanese American Internment - June 21, 1984
Civil Rights lawyer and former FDR administration staffer, Joseph Rauh, "The sinking of our ships created a situation where people just lost their heads." Rauh, "They forgot that the Japanese Americans were loyal. They forgot that J Edgar Hoover had no evidence they were going to be spies. They forgot that they were citizens."
Lawmakers - Japanese American Internment - June 21, 1984
Japanese Americans, mainly women and children, being processed for internment by army officials. Japanese American man being frisked at train door by soldier. Japanese Americans internment.
Lawmakers - Japanese American Internment - June 21, 1984
Buses entering Japanese internment camp gates in United States. Japanese Americans internment.
Lawmakers - Japanese American Internment - June 21, 1984
Representative Norman Mineta discussing the Japanese American internment experience. "(I can very much recall) very vividly watching my dad cry because I've only seen him cry 3 times in his life. One was the 7th of December, one was the day we left San Jose on the train, the third time was when my mother passed away. And so those kinds of remembrances are indelible in my own mind." Cokie Roberts. "What do you remember about that time?" Mineta, "Well I remember when my dad got our family together in February of 42and said that he wasn't sure what was going to happen to the family, but we were all to remember that 545 North 5th Street San Jose was our home. And that we were US citizens and that they could never do anything to harm us, but that he as a Japanese national (might be repatriated but we were always to consider San Jose as home.)"
Lawmakers - Japanese American - Internment June 21, 1984
Cokie Roberts, "How did he explain it to you that as an American citizen this was happening to you?" Representative Norman Mineta discussing the Japanese American internment experience, "His crying when we left San Jose, probably old that story more poignantly than I could explain. He loved San Jose. He loved this country. And he couldn't understand why this country was doing those things to him and to American citizens born in this country."
Lawmakers - Japanese American - Internment June 21, 1984
Civil Rights lawyer and former FDR administration staffer, Joseph Rauh, discusses the difficulty in arguing with military over necessity of Japanese American internment. "We saw that if it were militarily necessary it was also legal. The damn problem was that we didn't know about the military. All we knew was if it were militarily necessary it was legal. Now, it wasn't militarily necessary but that was hard to prove. As a guy who lost a fight against it there, I don't want to pass out of the picture until this is done. It is something I'd love to see done."
Lawmakers - Japanese American Internment - June 21, 1984
Hearing held under Carter administration to determine facts of Japanese American internment. Large audience. Japanese Americans testifying about internment experience. Japanese American woman speaking, "To me it was a shameful act that was done to us by our government. But through my faith in my religion, I harbor no anger or bitterness." Japanese American Man speaking to committee, "To be an American is a privilege I appreciate - to have been deprived by my own country - I will not accept rhetoric, only legal, tangible, monetary payment will be meaningful apology."
Lawmakers - Japanese American Internment - June 21, 1984
Representative Dan Lungren, member of the commission, dissents from the reparations idea. "I hope we haven't reached a point in our society where government, as with individuals, cannot sincerely say that in retrospect a decision was made that was a mistake and not have that apology considered sincere and genuine unless it is accompanied by the coin of the realm, by money."
Lawmakers - Japanese American Internment - June 21, 1984
House Committee to investigate funding Japanese American reparations. Representative Bob Matsui testifying. Representative Norman Mineta testifies, "And that any step short of compensation, would be an empty gesture. I ask and entreat this sub-committee to give us back our honor, give us back the dignity and the pride that this government so unnecessarily took from us in 1942."
Lawmakers - Japanese American Internment - June 21, 1984
Representative Norman Mineta in office, "Our whole judicial system is based on monetary compensation. So in this instance, I don't think it's any different." Cokie Roberts. "Is $20,000 enough to pay your father for what he went through?" Mineta, "Not really."
Lawmakers - Japanese American Internment - June 21, 1984
Cokie Roberts in studio comments that Mineta is very respected by his colleagues and his emotion is likely to have an effect on colleagues.