Casey Peek accepted the award for Art Shibayama at the Feb. 16 ceremony at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles
From the Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress
The 2002 Fighting Spirit Award will be presented at the DOR to
Isamu Carlos
Arturo “Art” Shibayama of San Jose. The Nikkei for
Civil Rights & Redress
selected Shibayama for his activism and fighting spirit in
seeking justice
for Japanese Latin Americans and his on-going struggle to receive
reparations
from the U.S. government through his lawsuit, Shibayama v. Reno
(USA).
During World War II, the United States government kidnapped over
2200
Japanese Latin men, women and children to be used in a hostage
exchange
program with Japan. Shibayama and his family, natives of Lima,
Peru, were
forcibly removed from Peru in 1944 and imprisoned at Crystal
City; Texas for
two-and-a-half years. Once an affluent businessman,
Shibayama’s father
struggled to support his family of eight children through a
variety of odd
jobs after they were released from camp. The family traveled from
Texas to
the Seabrook Farm in New jersey and then to Chicago to find
suitable work.
The elder Shibayama passed away in 1976.
By 1993, most eligible Japanese Americans had been issued an
apology and
reparations from the government through the passage of the Civil
Liberties
Act of 1988. However, many Japanese Latin American were being
denied the
$20,000 because the legislation provided compensation for only
U.S. citizens
and permanent residents. The Japanese Latin Americans had their
passports
taken from them before their imprisonment in the U. S. and were
now being
denied redress for their illegal alien status during the War.
Shibayama and his brothers were denied redress on this
technicality. Although
Shibayama served in U. S. Army from 1952-54, he did not beome a
U.S. citizen
until 1970. In the mid 1990's, he joined the Campaign for
Justice: Redress
Now for Japanese Latin Americans! (CFJ) and participated in
several lobbying
delegations to Washington D.C.
In 1996, the CFJ and lawyers helped a small group of Japanese
Latin Americans
file a lawsuit against the U.S. government to win reparations.
The offer of
an out-of-court settlement in 1998 was accepted even though only
$5000 was
provided for each surviving former internee. Shibayama and his
brothers,
Kenichi javier Shibayama and Takeshi Jorge Shibayama, both of
Chicago,
refused the settlement along with 14 other former internees.
These
“opt-outters” believed that the settlement was not
sufficient given the
larger amount given to Japanese Americans.
“The Shibayama brothers’ lawsuit remains pending at
this time. NCRR pays
tribute to Art Shibayama for his principled stand against this
grievous
injustice, “ stated Kay Ochi, NCRR Co-Chair
The Day of Remembrance is sponsored by the Nikkei for Civil
Rights & Redress
(NCRR) formerly known as the National Coalition for Redress
Reparations, the
Japanese American Citizens League/ Pacific Southwest District,
and the
Japanese American National Museum. The DOR will take place on
Saturday, Feb.
16, 2002 at the national museum from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
Reservations are
required; call (213) 625-0414 Ext. 2230.