On August 10, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 into law, providing for payments of $20,000 to each surviving evacuee and internee over a ten year period. The bill also provided for review of convictions and pardons of crimes for noncooperation with military orders and Congressional legislation relating to the evacuation and relocation program, and established the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund. On November 21, 1989, President George Bush signed into law a measure establishing redress and an entitlement program with payments to be paid out during fiscal years 1991-93. Copies of the following letter from President Bush accompanied the redress checks:

A monetary sum and words alone cannot restore lost years or erase painful memories; neither can they fully convey our Nation's resolve to rectify injustice and to uphold the rights of individuals. We can never fully right the wrongs of the past. But we can take a clear stand for justice and recognize that serious injustices were done to Japanese Americans during World War II.

In enacting a law calling for restitution and offering a sincere apology, your fellow Americans have in a very real sense, renewed their traditional commitment to the ideals of freedom, equality. and justice. You and your family have our best wishes for the future.