Yuri and the late Bill Kochiyama have been fighters all of their lives. Respected by both Sansei and Nisei alike, Yuri and Bill are being recognized for their "fighting spirit" by the National Coalition for Redress/Reparations. Bill knew what hard times were as he grew up an orphan in New York, later joining the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II. Yuri's family was forced to evacuate from the San Pedro area to the Jerome, Arkansas concentration camp. She and Bill met at the USO where Yuri volunteered. Active in the early civil rights movement, Yuri recognized the importance that the Black liberation movements would have on other minorities and all Americans. She has served as a model showing us the need to link all issues and all struggles for justice.

When NCRR needed a representative, Bill was always ready to go to Washington, D.C. to testify on behalf of redress. He and Yuri played an important role in gathering support for redress in New York City and on the East Coast. They both joined the lobbying delegation of 125 people organized by NCRR in 1987. This delegation of Sansei's and Nisei's sharing their stories helped to convince many in Congress to vote for the redress bill, the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. It was in Washington that Bill and Yuri met and gained the admiration of draft resisters who respected them for their stand on civil rights, which included their support of the draft resisters. They saw that the fight for redress united all of us. Both of them, in different ways, served as examples of fighters for justice. Yuri - outspoken and bold, and Bill - unassuming and determined, but sharing the same desire and passion to win redress. The National Coalition for Redress/Reparations thanks Yuri for continuing to energize all of us, and we remember, with love, the late Bill Kochiyama