SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION OF JAPANESE CONFINEMENT SITES Support the National Park Service’s Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) grant program Deadline is COB on March 17 Add your Member HERE FY21 cosigners (37): Bera, Beyer, Blumenauer, Brownley, Buck, Cheney, Chu, Clarke, Cohen, Costa, Davis (Danny), Davis (Susan), DeGette, DeSaulnier, Eshoo, Gabbard, Grijalva, Heck, Horsford, Jayapal, Khanna, Lee (Barbara), Lieu, Lowenthal, Nadler, Napolitano, Raskin, Rouda, Roybal-Allard, Rush, Sablan, Schakowsky, Smith (Adam), Swalwell, Takano, Thompson Dear Colleague, Please join me in sending a bipartisan programmatic request letter to the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Chair McCollum and Ranking Member Joyce in support of funding for the preservation of historic confinement sites where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II. The letter requests level funding to support the National Park Service’s Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) grant program. In 2006, Congress unanimously agreed to establish JACS grant program (Public Law 109-441) for the preservation and interpretation of U.S. confinement sites where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II. The law authorized up to $38 million for the life of the grant program to identify, research, evaluate, interpret, protect, restore, repair, and acquire historic confinement sites. The camps, relocation centers, processing areas, and other confinement sites located throughout the South and West are invaluable physical links that help current and future generations connect with the history and significance of the incarceration. Thank you for your continued support. To sign onto this letter, please add your Member HERE by COB, Tuesday, March 17th Questions? Please contact Robert Clark in my office (robert.clark@mail.house.gov). Dear Chair McCollum and Ranking Member Joyce: As you craft the Fiscal Year 2021 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, we respectfully request that you maintain level funding to support efforts to preserve the historic confinement sites where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II. The Japanese American internment constituted one of the darkest periods in our nation’s history. It would be an even greater failure on our part not to guard against the future perpetration of similar racially motivated acts. The camps, relocation centers, processing areas, and other confinement sites located throughout the South and West are invaluable physical links that help to connect current and future generations with the history and significance of the incarceration. Congress has recognized the important educational role of confinement sites. With the passage of P.L. 109-441, Congress unanimously agreed to authorize $38 million to use these sites as tools to educate the American public. In recent fiscal years, your subcommittee provided, and Congress approved a $3.155 million appropriation to preserve Japanese American confinement sites. Congress further recognized the patriotism of many Japanese Americans who patriotically volunteered to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces while their families were imprisoned by honoring these veterans with the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011. Building on this history of Congressional support, we respectfully request continued funding to support the significant community interest in restoring and maintaining these sites. This funding will leverage proportional local involvement to ensure that historically significant areas receive the attention they deserve. Federal resources provided by your subcommittee will build upon the strong bipartisan support Congress has already demonstrated and reaffirm our national commitment to preserving these sites, so that we never repeat this history. Sincerely, Doris Matsui Member of Congress |
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