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Renewal - Announcement in the House
On September 22, 1988, at 11:00 a.m., Prime Minister Brian Mulroney rose in the House of Commons to acknowledge the past injustices suffered by Canadians of Japanese ancestry and announced that a comprehensive redress settlement had been reached with the National Association of Japanese Canadians. His words brought tears of joy to the Japanese Canadians sitting in the visitor’s gallery. The government had finally absolved Japanese Canadians of any wrong doings during the war.
The Honourable Edward Broadbent, leader of the New Democratic Party, praised the government for reaching an agreement on redress. To describe the impact of the internment personally, Ed Broadbent read a moving passage from the book Obasan with author Joy Kogawa sitting in the gallery.
“In achieving this redress settlement, the NAJC pays tribute to all Canadians who shared the Japanese Canadian dream of justice in our time. Over the past five years, the internment story has been kept alive by informed and attentive reporters from all media, and editorials from major newspapers have commented thoughtfully on the crucial developments in the NAJC’s campaign for a just and honourable settlement. The victory for justice and human rights is also a victory for the democratic process.”
From the NAJC Press Release, September 22, 1988
Excerpt from the speech by Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney, in the House of Commons, September 22, 1988
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