Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 1, Number 7, 1 September 1984 — JACL National Body Supports Hawaiian Claims Resolution [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

JACL National Body Supports Hawaiian Claims Resolution

The Japanese Amei iean Citizens League (J ACL) has heeome the first major national organization to pledge support for Hawaiian reparations. JACL was established in 1930 in Seattle, Wash. lt has a current membership ol over 30,000 throughout the United States as well as in Japan. This year, lor the lirst time, JACL held its hiennial nalional convention in Hawaii Aug. 12-18 at the Paeilie Beach Hotel. Several months ago, members ol the Honolulu Chapter ol JACL notilied OKiee of Hawaiian Affairs Chairman Joseph Kealoha that the loeal chapter was prepared to introduce a resolution at their national convention backing claims ol' native Hawaiians. Alter se\eral meetings, it was arranged for OH A to present its Ceded Lands Slide Show to the l'ull business ineeting of JACL on Thursday, Aug. 16. I he presentation was well received and the ques<tion asked by several deiegates was "How ean we help?" I he answer eame the lollowing day when the Hawaiian claims resoluiion eame up for a vote. It was adopted unanimously and Kealoha was told its passage was greeted with applause. On hehall ol OHA and every Hawaiian, we say "mahalo a nui loa" and "domo arigato gozai mashita." "Americans of Japanese ancestry and Americans of Hawaiian ancestry have both suffered grave injustice and irreparable damage at the hands of the U.S. government. We both are seeking a public apology and some form of reparations," Kealoha declared. Kealoha said he had the pieasure last year of sponsoring a resolution whieh put the OH A Board ol"Trustees on record in support of Sen. Spark Matsunaga's bill calling for reparations for Japanese Americans wrongfully interned during World War II. "Thisaction is necessary to restore honor to a group ol' ioyal Americans whose only crime was color of skin and shape of eye," the OHA ehaiiman said. "It also is necessary to restore honor to the U.S. government fora shamelul chapter in its history," he added. Members ol the JACL at their Honolulu meeting quickly recognized parallel injustices suffered by the Hawaiian people and have extended their kokua. The resolution passed at the national JACL eonvention urges the U.S. Congress to "acknowledge the illegal and immoral actions of the United States in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893 and to indicate its commitment to grant restitution for the losses and damages suffered by Native Hawaiians as a result of those wronglul actions. . ." Earl Nishimura, JACL Honolulu

Chapter Resolutions Committee Chairman, explained that as a result of adopting this resolution, JACL Washington representatives will now lobby for passage oflegislation to make Hawaiian reparations a reality. Nishimura said "JACL hasa history of fighting to see that injustice is corrected under the American political process. From the earliest days in Hawaii Japanese im-

migrants have been gratefu! for the weleome and aloha extended to them by the people ol Hawaii. We are glad to do our part now to work toward a better Hawaii for the Hawaiian people." Kealoha extends a special thank you to Nishimura and the other members of the JACL Honolulu Chapter who worked toward passage of the resolution. They in-

clude Chapter President L.awrence Kumahe; Convention Chairman Edgar Hamasu; Arpad Elekes and many others. Mahalo also to JACL National Director Ron Wakabayashi for his assistance and many courtesies. to lmmediate Past President Floyd Shimomura and to National Resolutions Committee ChairmanTony lshii.

Lawrence Kumahe President, JACL Honolulu Chapter

OHA C'hairman Joseph Kealoha explains slide show presentation and later answered several questions posed by delegates attending the national hiennial convention of the Japanese American Citi/ens League at the Pacific Beach Hotel. This was the first national meeting of the group in Hawaii, hosted by the Honolulu JACL Chapter.