SACRAMENTO (Press Release) — Assembly Bill (AB) 491, to appropriate $3 million over three years for education programs about Japanese American incarceration during World War II, on Wednesday passed the Assembly Education Committee on a unanimous vote of 7-0, according to its author, Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance).
“The incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans without due process of law during World War II began with one presidential executive order,” stated Muratsuchi. “Today, we are seeing similar executive orders now targeting Muslims as modern day threats to our national security. Now, more than ever, every American needs to learn the lessons of the Japanese American incarceration to understand that our Constitution should not allow any community to be targeted because of their national origin or faith.”
Barbara Takei of the Tule Lake Committee, a non-profit organization that represents Japanese American survivors and descendants of those imprisoned during WWII at the Tule Lake concentration camp in Northern California and works to preserve the historic site, supports the bill.
“Given the echoes of 1942 and the rising climate of fear and racism targeting Muslims, immigrants and refugees, the work of the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program is more important than ever. To ensure the mistakes of the past are not forgotten and not repeated, we are grateful that you have introduced AB 491 to continue the work of this valuable program.”
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Preceding provided by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi