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Grayce Uyehara, née Kaneda, (July 4, 1919 – June 22, 2014) was a
Japanese-American are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...
social worker and activist who led the campaign for a formal government apology for
Japanese-American internment are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asia ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
.


Early life

Born ''Grayce Ritsu Kaneda'' in Stockton, California, Uyehara was the second of seven children and part of the ''
nisei is a Japanese-language term used in countries in North America and South America to specify the ethnically Japanese children born in the new country to Japanese-born immigrants (who are called ). The are considered the second generatio ...
'' generation. She was a student at the
University of the Pacific University of the Pacific may refer to: *University of the Pacific (Colombia) *University of the Pacific (Ecuador) *University of the Pacific (Peru) * University of the Pacific (United States) *University of Asia Pacific, Bangladesh * University of ...
, majoring in music, when she and her family were imprisoned in the Rohwer internment camp in Arkansas after the signing of
Executive Order 9066 Executive Order 9066 was a United States presidential executive order signed and issued during World War II by United States president Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942. This order authorized the secretary of war to prescribe certain ...
. After securing her release through a program allowing some internees to attend college, Uyehara moved to Minnesota and studied at St. Cloud State Teachers College, now St. Cloud State University. She then moved to
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
and married a fellow former internee, Hiroshi Uyehara. While living in
West Chester, Pennsylvania West Chester is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough and the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Located within the Delaware Valley, Philadelphia metropolitan area, the borough had a population of 18,461 at the ...
, the Uyeharas organized the Philadelphia chapter of the
Japanese American Citizens League The is an Asian American civil rights charity, headquartered in San Francisco, with regional chapters across the United States. The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) describes itself as the oldest and largest Asian American civil right ...
(JACL), where Grayce became one of its first women leaders nationwide.


Career

While an activist, Uyehara worked as a social worker. After her retirement, she volunteered as national director of the Legislative Education Committee, the JACL's lobbying arm. Their efforts led to President Ronald Reagan's signing of the
Civil Liberties Act of 1988 The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 (, title I, August 10, 1988, , et seq.) is a United States federal law that granted reparations to Japanese Americans who had been wrongly interned by the United States government during World War II. The act was ...
, which issued a formal apology for internment and provided reparations for former internees. She then chaired the JACL Legacy Fund campaign, which raised over $5 million to support other JACL programs. In 2014, she was honored by Asian Americans United with its Standing Up For Justice Award.


Death

After a brief illness at Virtua Memorial Hospital in
Mount Holly, New Jersey Mount Holly is a township that is the county seat of Burlington County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an eastern suburb of Philadelphia, the nation's sixth largest city as of 2020, As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township's population ...
, Uyehara passed away on June 22, 2014. She was remembered by other Japanese Americans for her focus and effectiveness as an activist, "the heart and soul of
redress Redress is a setting right, as of injury, oppression, or wrong. Redress may refer to: * Redress of grievances or right to petition ** Redress of grievances in the United States * Legal redress * Redress (charitable organisation) * Redress Contro ...
."


Further reading

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References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Uyehara, Grace 1919 births 2014 deaths People from Stockton, California Japanese-American internees Japanese-American civil rights activists American social workers Activists from California American people of Japanese descent Women civil rights activists 20th-century American women 21st-century American women