Grant Ujifusa’s family lived near the Heart Mount Relocation Center in Wyoming when he was a child, giving him a unique perspective on the injustices faced by Japanese Americans during World War II. Ujifusa, a noted author and historian, shared that perspective with a packed house at the Jay Heritage Center recently, in a discussion joined by constitutional law expert Kermit Roosevelt III. 

Ujifusa delved into the complex dynamics of citizenship versus race, drawing on his own family’s experiences. While Ujifusa and his family were never placed in internment camps, he witnessed the deep upheaval the imprisonment caused for so many.

Ujifusa shared the story of Kaz Masuda, a young Japanese American soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country, only to have his family endure injustice back home. Masuda’s heroism on the battlefield was tragically overshadowed by the discrimination faced by members of his family, who were forcibly removed from their farm and sent to the Jerome Relocation Center in Arkansas. Despite the terrible loss suffered by the Masuda family, their story received national attention when a young Army captain named Ronald Reagan spoke out against racial prejudice and expressed gratitude for Kaz Masuda’s service.

That powerful narrative underscored the enduring impact of internment camps on Japanese American families and served as a reminder of the injustices they endured.

Ujifusa, who served on the Legislative Education Committee of the Japanese American Citizens League from 1982 to 1992, discussed his effort as a strategist in the fight for the passage the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which aimed to provide redress for the wrongs suffered by Japanese Americans during World War II. The bill was signed into law by Reagan. 

But Ujifusa said the reparations provided by the act were underwhelming, amounting to approximately $20,000 per person. He added that it took nearly a decade for most people to receive their payment. Despite the shortcomings of the reparations, the passage of the law marked a significant milestone in the ongoing quest for justice and reconciliation for Japanese Americans.

Roosevelt, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, drew parallels between the erosion of civil liberties during times of perceived national security threats during World War II and today, citing the handling of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Roosevelt stressed that race, rather than citizenship, often becomes the focal point of suspicion and discrimination during times of crisis. He emphasized the importance of safeguarding civil liberties, noting the enduring relevance of the internment camps’ legacy. Together, the two men offered a comprehensive overview of the internment camps’ genesis and legacy.

The talk was a collaboration between the Jay Heritage Center and the Japan Society of Greater Fairfield County.