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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FEB. 25, 2016 |
Contact: Mary Tablante; |
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National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) Thanks Senator Mazie Hirono for Introducing Resolution to Affirm American Commitment to Justice & Civil Liberties on the Anniversary of Japanese American Incarceration
Senator Mazie Hirono and eight Senators introduced a resolution yesterday to mark 74 years since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which led to the incarceration of 120,000 loyal Japanese Americans during World War II. The resolution also affirmed that America must stand against xenophobic sentiments directed to members of Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Arab, Middle Eastern and South Asian communities.
"We thank Senator Hirono for her leadership in introducing this resolution, especially because our nation must remember its history as we unite against hate, xenophobia and bigotry," said NCAPA National Director Christopher Kang. "We remember the 120,000 Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during World War II--even though none was ever charged with a crime. Today is a time of high anxiety and increased rates of anti-Muslim rhetoric and actions, and NCAPA is more committed than ever to ensuring that policies and political rhetoric do not repeat the mistakes of the past in discriminating against any individual."
“The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II remains a dark time in our nation’s history,” said Senator Hirono. “Yet, today we hear echoes of the sentiments of 1942 directed toward members of the Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Arab, Middle Eastern, and South Asian communities. Mahalo to NCAPA for standing with me to recognize that we cannot repeat the mistakes of our past, and that the diversity of our nation is what makes America strong.”
A broad coalition of civil rights organizations have backed the measure: Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC (AAJC), the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), Muslim Advocates, the Sikh Coalition, and South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT).
The resolution is co-sponsored by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Al Franken (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and Patty Murray (D-WA). Click here to read Senator Hirono’s resolution.
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Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans is a coalition of 35 national Asian Pacific American organizations that serves to represent the interests of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and to provide a national voice for our communities’ concerns. Our communities are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, currently making up approximately six percent of the population.
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