SENATE RESOLUTION
8685
By Senators Hasegawa, Kuderer, Fortunato, Conway, Frame, Lovelett, Nobles,
Stanford, and Valdez
1 WHEREAS, The Seattle Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) was
2 established in September 1921 to combat existing and at the time
3 worsening anti-Japanese immigrant prejudice, codified in laws barring
4 immigrant Japanese from attaining citizenship and owning land; and
5 WHEREAS, The National JACL, which is currently the country's
6 oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization, was
7 founded eight years later, and the Seattle JACL hosted the first
8 national JACL convention; and
9 WHEREAS, During World War II, when all people of Japanese
10 ancestry on the West Coast were incarcerated in government
11 administered prison camps, the Seattle JACL took a leadership
12 position and was later instrumental in resettling and assisting King
13 County Japanese Americans returning from these camps, as they
14 continued to face discrimination both at the hands of the federal and
15 local governments; and
16 WHEREAS, The Seattle JACL is regarded as the birthplace of the
17 Redress Movement and a leader in the efforts that culminated in the
18 bipartisan passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 that resulted
19 in a government apology and provided redress for the loss of civil
20 liberties suffered by Japanese Americans imprisoned during World War
21 II; and
22 WHEREAS, The Seattle JACL helped in the fight to gain citizenship
23 opportunities for first generation (Issei) Japanese immigrants and
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 1 conducted a successful 12-year campaign to eliminate the racially
2 discriminatory Alien Land Law; and
3 WHEREAS, The Seattle JACL advocated for fair housing, an
4 integrated school system, and equal opportunity employment at all
5 levels, and encouraged open discussions during the civil rights
6 struggles of the 1960s; and
7 WHEREAS, The Seattle JACL helped the National JACL become the
8 nation's first non-LGBTQ organization to endorse marriage equality
9 and has, standing in unwavering solidarity, endorsed every Washington
10 ballot measure against discrimination based on sexual orientation;
11 and
12 WHEREAS, The Seattle JACL actively advocates for the civil rights
13 and civil liberties of ALL Americans, including immigrant and
14 migratory communities; the Arab American community; Muslims, Sikhs,
15 Jews, and other religious minorities; the LGBTQ community; and the
16 Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPoC) communities;
17 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate
18 honor the Seattle JACL upon its 100th anniversary and acknowledge and
19 celebrate JACL's long standing commitment to fight for justice and
20 social equity; and
21 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be
22 immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to Seattle
23 JACL for further distribution to the community.
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