Students > Justice & Reconciliation > Japanese American Reflections on Redress
Introduction
Watch the two videos, which shows Japanese Americans reflecting on what the redress movement meant to them and their Issei (first generation) parents. As you watch, consider this question: How successful was the redress movement in achieving justice and reconciliation for the Japanese American community?
After you watch the videos, discuss the questions below with your classmates.
Discuss
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What common thoughts and emotions did the interviewees express?
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What did redress mean to them? To their families?
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What comments by the interviewees did you find particularly interesting, surprising, and/or impactful? What’s the implication behind telling a person of color to “go back to where you came from”?
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From a governance-based perspective, one role of justice is to create healing and reconciliation within society for past wrongs, and therefore create a more harmonious and peaceful society. Justice begets harmony—that is the theory. In this case, how successful was the redress movement in achieving justice and reconciliation for the Japanese American community? Explain.
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This specific redress movement obviously held a lot of significance to many Japanese American families. From the perspective of justice and reconciliation, do you believe this redress movement also made a positive impact on American society in general? Why or why not?
Bettmann / Getty Images
Courtesy of Yae Wada.
