Daniel Akaka: “earlier this afternoon, a few short blocks from this Chamber and in the shadow of the Capitol, hundreds of people…”

“earlier this afternoon, a few short blocks from this Chamber and in the shadow of the Capitol, hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the formal opening of the National Japanese American Memorial honoring the loyalty and courage of Japanese Americans during the Second World War. As a World War II veteran and a native of Hawaii, I am well-acquainted with the exceptional contributions of Japanese Americans to the war effort, both at home and abroad. The battlefield exploits of the 442nd, 100th, and the MIS immediately come to mind. Less known but equally deserving of recognition are the sacrifices of the civilian nisei on the homefront, who continued to support the war effort while enduring the prejudice of fellow citizens as well as the wholesale violation of their civil rights by the U.S. Government. This new memorial honors the valor and sacrifice of the hundreds of brave men who fought and died for their country, and it also speaks to the faith and perseverance of 120,000 Japanese Americans and nationals, who solely on the basis of race, regardless of citizenship or loyalty, without proof or justification, were denied their civil rights in what history will record as one of our Nation's most shameful acts. This memorial commemorates these events in our Nation's history.”