Japanese Americans and Central European Jews: A Comparison of Post-War Reparation Problems

In 1980, Congress established a commission to investigate whether a wrong was committed by the evacuation and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. The investigation may provide the basis for making reparations to the Japanese Americans involved. The Note compares remedies made available by the Federal Republic of Germany for the extermination and displacement of Jews during World War II with past and possible future remedies for the Japanese Americans. The Note concludes that the precedent set by the Federal Republic of Germany of making reparation on the basis of a moral obligation should be followed by the United States in developing a reparation policy for Japanese Americans