NCRR Launches Online Archive
Monday, December 29, 2008

Photos, commentary and articles tell story of civil rights organization.

Takeshi Nakayama
A photo of the first redress checks being handed out is one of the images now online at the Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress (NCRR) Archive.

The Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress (NCRR) announced the recent launch of the “NCRR Ar­chive” on its Web site. This digitized archive presents key events from NCRR’s history through photos, news articles, and commentary. Viewers can read accounts about the 1980 founding conference, see photos from the 1987 lobbying del­egation in Washington, D.C., and follow the turbulent history of the redress/ reparations movement and the fight for individuals denied re­dress. Viewers will also learn about the tenacious struggle for redress for individuals denied reparations, a struggle which continues today.

“Putting the history of the redress campaign on the web makes it more accessible to students and others who are doing research. No longer is the information stored in boxes and in people’s minds and shared in bits and pieces,” said NCRR co-chair, Kathy Masaoka.

Kay Ochi, NCRR co-chair added about the redress campaign, “The victory was not easily won. For those who lobbied and campaigned, it was life-changing. For this nation, it is a reminder of the fallibility of leadership and the importance of our vigilance.”

During the 1980’s NCRR branched out to support other political issues such as the campaign against the JAPSS hair salon and to support Na­tive Americans being evicted from Big Mountain. In this post 9/11 era, NCRR has supported war resisters of con­science and opposed the scapegoating of Muslim Americans, South Asian Americans and Arab Americans.

Web designer, Miles Hamada, and the NCRR archive committee spent many hours scanning, writing, and meeting to discuss the new Web site as it evolved. “It is vitally important to tell grassroots story of organiz­ing and energizing the community to fight for redress for the good of all the American community,” commented NCRR treasurer, Suzy Katsuda.

NCRR archivist, Janice Yen re­marked, “think people will receive encouragement to participate in movements for social change. Like the historic presidential campaign to elect Barack Obama, people who are united around a just cause can do anything! We hope NCRR’s Web site will inspire young people to become active in their communities.”

The Web site’s archive expansion was made possible in part by a 2007 grant from the California Civil Liber­ties Public Education Program (CCL­PEP). grant project also included for the archiving of NCRR’s historical Day of Remembrances which may be viewed on NCRR-LA.org.