Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Its the day President Reagan signed into law a formal apology to the 120,000 Japanese Americans incarcerated behind barbed wire during World War II because they were Japanese.
The Act also went one big step beyond an apology, awarding $20,000 each to those who were imprisoned.
NPR reports to commemorate the historic occasion, the National Archives has put on the display the Act signed by President Reagan. Alongside it is the Executive Order signed by President Franklin D Roosevelt authorizing the round up of the Japanese American community on the West Coast.
Marielle Tsukamoto who was one of the 120,000 incarcerated saw the display and said it sent “shivers up and down [her] back.”
Curator Bruce Bustard said the two documents represent a powerful juxtaposition of right and wrong.
“They are filled with legalese, and again that to me reinforces the idea that from these sorts of legal decisions that our government makes, these kinds of consequences can happen,” Bustard said.
You can read about how the battle for reparations was won on NPR.
