Honoring Japanese-Americans who suffered relocation and internment during World War II.

2023-2024 Regular Session Introduced by Bob Hasegawa and 1 co-sponsor

A ceremonial Washington Senate resolution honors Japanese-Americans affected by WWII internment, acknowledges EO 9066 injustice, and commits to civil liberties and racial equity.

Adopted.

Washington State Senate Resolution SR 8677 – Summary

Overview

SR 8677 is a ceremonial (non-binding) Washington State Senate resolution adopted on February 16, 2024. The resolution honors and memorializes Japanese-Americans who suffered relocation and internment during World War II, and it recognizes their contributions, alongside those who resisted injustice, as part of Washington’s history and civil liberties legacy.

Purpose and Intent

Acknowledge the injustice of Executive Order 9066 (signed February 19, 1942) and the forced relocation and imprisonment of more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, including about 12,000 from Washington State.

Honor Japanese-American veterans, incarcerees, and civil rights activists from Washington.

Reflect on the lessons of liberty and justice for all, and affirm ongoing commitments to civil liberties and racial equity.

Key Provisions and Provisions Highlights

Recites the sequence of events beginning with Executive Order 9066, including:

Evacuation of Bainbridge Island residents with extremely short notice.
Construction of ten inland mass incarceration sites.
Formation of the segregated 442nd Regimental Combat Team and its notable military achievements (e.g., extensive citations and honors).
Civil rights activism and acts of dissent (e.g., Gordon Hirabayashi).
Findings from the 1982 Congressional commission on wartime relocation and internment, which found no valid military or security justification for internment, attributing it to racial prejudice, war hysteria, and leadership failures.
Economic losses, physical/psychological harm, and deprivation of due process experienced by incarcerees.
Legislative and redress history, including the 1988 Civil Liberties Act (after efforts initiated in 1979) and its reparations and apology.

The core resolve states:

The Senate pauses to acknowledge the 82nd anniversary of EO 9066.
The state recognizes and remembers Washington’s Japanese-American veterans, incarcerees, and civil rights activists.
A call to reflect on the lasting lessons of liberty and justice for all.

Transmission of copies to specified organizations:

Nisei Veterans Committee
Densho
Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington State
Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience

Affected Parties

Japanese-Americans and their families in Washington State.

Washington state veteran communities, civil rights activists, and communities affected by internment.

Organizations serving and documenting Japanese-American history and civil rights.

Procedural and Timeline Details

Introduced: February 16, 2024

Status: Adopted on February 16, 2024

Nature: Ceremonial/resolution (non-binding); symbolic acknowledgment rather than regulatory change or fiscal policy.

Impact and Significance

Provides formal state-level recognition and education about the internment era.

Highlights resilience and contributions of Japanese-American communities and individuals from Washington.

Encourages ongoing discussion about civil liberties, justice, and remembrance, aligning with broader national redress efforts and educational memory initiatives.