Japanese American World War II History Network Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6434, offered by my committee colleague, Mr. Obernolte of California, to establish a Japanese American World War II History Network within the National Park Service.

As Chairman Grijalva stated, this bill is complementary to the previous bill we considered today with the JACS program in it.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, tens of thousands of Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from the West Coast to relocation centers across the United States. Japanese Americans were imprisoned without trial and forced to relocate to some of the most remote areas of our country, with few personal belongings. My State of Arkansas was home to two relocation camps, Rohwer in Desha County and Jerome in Chicot and Drew Counties.

Mr. Obernolte's bill, which I have proudly cosponsored, would establish a cohesive national network to increase the visibility of all sites related to the Japanese American experience during World War II. The network will be similar to existing networks established in recent years to connect sites associated with the Underground Railroad, the Reconstruction era, and the African American civil rights movement.

At the legislative hearing, Mr. Bruce Saito, chair of the Friends of Manzanar, testified about this critical network, saying: ``We must continue to strengthen the network and continue to connect the dots through the network so this tragic and very important lesson in history is never forgotten.''

The new network will be an important tool to ensure that this history, no matter how painful it may be, is always remembered, and the important stories of interned Japanese Americans are told with honor and respect.

In addition to the Friends of Manzanar, we have received letters of support from the Amache Preservation Society, the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, the National Japanese American Historical Society, and the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.

I commend Mr. Obernolte for his work on this important legislation that will help future generations learn from and reflect on the experiences of Japanese Americans during World War II.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for his support, and I thank Mr. Obernolte for introducing the legislation. I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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