Janice Harumi Yen was awarded the NCRR’s Fighting Spirit Award.  As a founding member of NCRR, Janice exemplifies the determination; dedication and fighting spirit that made redress a reality.  To this day Janice devotes countless hours in the campaign for civil rights for all people of color.  Above all she is loved by her many friends for her warm personality and caring nature.

The JACL Community Achievement Award was presented to Robin Toma, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Human Relations Commission.  In 1996 he served as co-lead counsel for the Japanese Latin American (JLA) redress class action lawsuit, Mochizuki vs U.S., with the late Fred Okrand.  The Department of Justice offered the JLAs a settlement of $5000 and a presidential apology.  Because of the advancing age of the litigants and because the offer covered JLAs living in Japan, the offer was accepted by most members of the class. 

Robin has joined with NCRR, JACL and other community members to support Congressman Xavier Becerra’s bill to fully redress the Japanese Latin Americans by providing them the same $20,000 in monetary reparations won by Japanese American internees.  Senator Daniel Inouye has sponsored a companion bill in the Senate.  Congressman Becerra also addressed the 2003 DOR crowd and encouraged the attendees to support redress for JLAs.

The keynote speaker was Congressman Mike Honda from San Jose, who was elected in 2000 to the House of Representatives.  He has dedicated himself to social justice, tolerance and civil rights for all Americans.  For these attributes he has won the admiration of NCRR and justice-minded people in the United States and abroad.

Mr. Honda spoke of his involvement in gaining passage of AB1915, the California Civil Liberties Public Education Act, when he was a member of the California Assembly.  He served on the House Budget Committee and argued for a responsible fiscal policy that pays down the national debt while protecting top priorities such as Social Security, Medicare, and public education.

Denise Uyehara impressed the audience with a lively performance called “Big Head,” which explores racial profiling of Muslim and Arab Americans.  Denise is an artist/writer/playwright whose work has been widely performed in the U.S. and abroad.  “Big Head” was made possible by a grant from the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program.

The program closed with updates from the Muslim American communities.  The spokespersons from the Muslim Public Affairs Council and the Council on American Islamic Relations talked about the racist backlash that affected them.  The U.S. government recently required immigrants from targeted Middle Eastern, African, and Asian countries to report to the INS for special registration.

Fighting Spirit Award..., Rafu Shimpo, 2/13/03, Activist to be Honored at DOR