Tens of thousands of Japanese-Americans interned during World War II would begin receiving $20,000 reparation checks next year under a bill that may get final congressional approval Friday.
The House voted 249-166 Thursday to begin dispensing $1.2 billion to the 60,000 survivors of the camps. The Senate could debate the bill as early as Friday, and it is expected to be passed and quickly signed.The measure provides $500 million for the payments in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, the same amount the next year and the remaining $200 million beginning October 1992.
Rep. Norman Mineta, D-Calif., a Japanese-American who as a child was confined to one of the camps, said time was essential because 200 former internees die each month.
Camp survivors who already have died passed away "still waiting for the stigma on their loyalty to be lifted," he said.
The camps, set up in 1942 after war broke out with Japan, were sparked by fears that Japanese-Americans would subvert the U.S. war effort. About 120,000 Japanese-Americans spent most of the war in the camps.