FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CR WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1997 (202) 616-2765 TDD (202) 514-1888 JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SEEKS HELP IN LOCATING POTENTIAL JAPANESE-AMERICAN REDRESS RECIPIENTS BEFORE THE PROGRAM CLOSES IN AUGUST 1998 WASHINGTON, D.C -- The Justice Department's Office of Redress Administration is seeking help in locating Japanese- American individuals who are newly eligible for redress. "We were given the responsibility under the law to identify and locate all potentially eligible individuals," said DeDe Greene, ORA Administrator. "We hope that with help from the public and the continued help from Japanese-American community groups, who have provided invaluable assistance in the past, we will be able to find more potential recipients." A recent court ruling determined that reparations may be paid to certain children who were born after their Japanese American parents voluntarily evacuated from the West Coast or after their parents were released from internment camps. In the case, Ishida v. United States, the court held that the children were "deprived of liberty" and entitled to redress because of their inability to return to their parent's original place of residence. As a result, the Justice Department is now reaching out to these individuals as possible redress recipients. ORA has received claims from about 1,300 persons whose status may be affected by this case and estimates that many more may be affected by the new policy. More specific eligibility criteria is still under review within the Department and should be finalized by March. The Department also has determined that other individuals may be eligible for redress as well. Children under the age of 21, involuntarily returned to Japan during the war, who were not emancipated and did not enter active military service for the Japanese Government during World War II, could also receive reparations. The Department found that because they were children, they did not have the capacity to voluntarily choose to relocate to Japan during the war. Some individuals evacuated the West Coast after the issuance of Executive Order 9066, on February 19, 1942, which gave the military the authority to institute security measures, and before March 2, 1942, when the first military proclamations were implemented in the prohibited zones. These individuals may have evacuated as a result of federal government action, and could also be eligible for redress. As part of ORA's legal obligation under the Act, it is continuing to search for the remaining internees and evacuees. ORA utilized historical records to identify more than 120,000 Japanese Americans who were evacuated, relocated or interned during World War II. While approximately 117,000 persons have been accounted for, more than 3,000 others still have not been located despite repeated outreach efforts by ORA. ORA's outreach efforts have included over 50 workshops, working with the Social Security Administration, the Departments of Motor Vehicles in several states, contacting family members, using a national locator service, and publicizing listings of names for these individuals. ORA has accounted for thousands of persons through these efforts. In the future, ORA also intends to publicize the listing of "unknown" individuals in a booklet format, to attend reunions of internment camps, conferences and other events to publicize the redress program. Those who believe they or someone they know may be eligible under these categories should contact the ORA Helpline at (888) 219-6900 (toll-free), or write to ORA at P.O. Box 66260, Washington, DC 20035-6260. Please provide the following information to assist us with the verification process: full name, name used during the internment period, date of birth, address, telephone number, and place of internment, relocation or evacuation. ORA is required by law to close on August 10, 1998 and those who believe that they are potentially eligible for redress should submit their claims as soon as possible. # # # 97-041