Tsuyako Kitashima

Tsuyako Kitashima was a Japanese American who became a prominent figure in the redress movement for Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during World War II. She was born on December 25, 1913, in Seattle, Washington, and died on June 6, 2006, in San Francisco, California.

During World War II, Kitashima was forcibly removed from her home and incarcerated in the Tule Lake War Relocation Center, a Japanese American internment camp in California. After the war, she and her family moved to San Francisco, where she became an active member of the Japanese American community and worked as a community activist.

In the 1970s, Kitashima became involved in the redress movement, which sought an official apology and reparations from the United States government for the incarceration of Japanese Americans during the war. She helped to found the National Coalition for Redress/Reparations (NCRR), an organization that advocated for redress for Japanese Americans.

Kitashima was a key figure in the campaign to secure redress for Japanese Americans. She testified before Congress about her experiences in the internment camps, and worked to mobilize the Japanese American community to push for redress. In 1988, her efforts paid off when President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act, which provided a formal apology and reparations to Japanese Americans who had been incarcerated during the war.

After the passage of the Civil Liberties Act, Kitashima continued to be involved in Japanese American community activism. She was a founding member of the San Francisco chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), and worked on issues related to redistricting, voting rights, and education. She was also a vocal advocate for the rights of other minority groups, including Native Americans and African Americans.

Kitashima's life and work serve as a powerful example of the importance of standing up for justice and fighting for the rights of marginalized communities. Her efforts played a crucial role in securing redress for Japanese Americans and helped to ensure that the injustices of the past were not forgotten.