In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act, a historic piece of legislation that sought, for the first time, to provide a measure of justice to Japanese Americans forty-six years after their incarceration during World War II. The Japanese American Redress program that resulted proved to be a success story of the United States government - a program whose history is now captured in the film and material of this website. The Office of Redress Administration bore the seal and support of three different presidential administrations, and was run by a federal workforce that represented a diverse cross-section of the American people. Over its decade-long operation (1988-1998), the ORA reached over 82,000 people with a redress payment and official apology letter from the President of the United States.

This project aims to document the complex history of Japanese American Redress. The film below, Redress, provides the first in-depth look at the historic program as told by those who both administered and participated in it. The material featured in this site supplements the film by providing historical overviews of the Japanese American experience and redress program, as well as a list of resources for further study and discussion.

Above all, the film and website seek to pay tribute to those who fought to create the historic program, and the government professionals who worked with the community to carry it out.

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