Political Quotes

“Today I rise to recognize a profound loss in the Japanese-American community, the passing of Sakaye Aratani. Her death coincides with an ever-dwindling number of adult Japanese- Americans, who endured the injustice of being forcibly removed from their homes and imprisoned in World War II internment camps here in the United States. She and her late husband, George Aratani, made a remarkable, successful post-war journey in business and became important philanthropic figures within the Japanese-American community and beyond. Every year, I would see her at community gatherings for various Japanese-American organizations that she and her husband supported, and, every year, I was struck by her grace, elegance, and intelligence. My heart goes out to the Aratani family, and I join with the rest of the Japanese-American community in mourning her passing. ____________________”