網頁

星期三, 2月 20, 2019

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES 2019 CITY SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE TO BOSTON RESIDENTS

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES 2019 CITY SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE TO BOSTON RESIDENTS
BOSTON - Wednesday, February 20, 2019 -  Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced applications are now available for the 2019 City of Boston Scholarship Program. The City of Boston Scholarship Program is designed to support higher education, and is available to Boston residents interested in pursuing an undergraduate degree or continuing education in Massachusetts.

"The City of Boston Scholarship Fund helps students achieve their dream of attending college, and I'm proud that through this program, we're able to give our residents the support they need," said Mayor Walsh. "I encourage residents throughout our city's neighborhoods to apply to this program, and look forward to our city's leaders gaining the opportunities they deserve to succeed."

The City of Boston Scholarship fund is a need-based scholarship that provides up to $10,000 over four years towards tuition, and relies primarily on generous contributions from individuals, organizations and corporations to further the goal of having more Boston residents complete a post-secondary education. During the 2018-2019 academic year, the scholarship program awarded a total of $290,000 to over 115 students representing almost every neighborhood of Boston, who went on to attend 30 local colleges and universities. This year, the Fund will award 30 new recipients.

This year's scholarships were supported by generous donations from Arbella Insurance Foundation, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation, Herb Chambers Foundation, Pinnacle Leadership Foundation, and Rapid7 as part of their commitment to students of Boston.

"Investing in the education of our young people is paramount to not only their own success, but to the future of our local communities and businesses," said Corey Thomas, President and CEO of Rapid7. "We are thrilled to continue our contribution to the scholarship fund and commend The City of Boston for its tireless dedication to providing students the support they need to reach their educational goals."

The Scholarship Committee has worked in recent years to simplify and strengthen the application process. Highlights include an updated recommendation form that assesses college and career readiness, three short-answer questions in place of a longer essay, an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) calculator for students not eligible for FAFSA, and a clear recognition of financial need among continuing education students.

"This scholarship makes accomplishing my dreams a little easier. A college education is very expensive," said Juliana Vazquez, a resident of East Boston and a 2018 City of Boston Scholarship Recipient, "The amount of debt that young college graduates accumulate over four years can be astronomical and I commend the City of Boston for recognizing this. Our great city is working tirelessly to find ways to financially support as many city kids as possible in receiving a college education and for this, I am extremely grateful."

The City of Boston Scholarship program is part of Mayor Walsh's commitment to ensuring that all Boston residents are able to access and complete their post-secondary education. In 2016, Mayor Walsh launched tuition-free community college for Boston Public Schools graduates, providing a cost-effective entry point into higher education for Boston's young people. Participating colleges include Bunker Hill Community College, MassBay Community College, and Roxbury Community College.

This year, as part of his legislative agenda, Mayor Walsh proposed replicating Boston's Tuition-Free Community College (TFCC) Initiative launched in June 2016, making it available statewide. TFCC was launched by Mayor Walsh and currently serves 295 students attending Bunker Hill Community College, Roxbury Community College and MassBay Community College. Students enrolled through the program have an average graduation rate of 70 percent over three years, significantly higher than national averages.  

In 2018, Mayor Walsh, in partnership with the Frieze Family Foundation, launched the GRAD Last Mile Fund, an innovative scholarship program designed to provide financial support to Boston students nearing college graduation. Additional resources for residents pursuing higher education can be found on Mayor Walsh's Education Cabinet's Higher Education Resource page.

Candidates for the City of Boston Scholarship Program must be Boston residents who have graduated from high school or have completed G.E.D. programming by the time the awards are made. Additionally, candidates must be planning to attend, or currently attending, a two- or four-year accredited post-secondary institution in Massachusetts.

Residents who meet these eligibility requirements are encouraged to apply here. The deadline to submit applications is April 12, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. For applicants who are renewing their scholarship from a previous year, please email COBscholarship@boston.gov.

For more information on the City of Boston Scholarship, or to apply, please visitBoston.gov/scholarship.

BOSTON CONTINUES STRONG FISCAL MANAGEMENT, SECURES 5TH YEAR OF PERFECT AAA BOSTON RATINGS

BOSTON CONTINUES STRONG FISCAL MANAGEMENT, SECURES 5TH YEAR OF PERFECT AAA BOSTON RATINGS
Under Mayor Walsh's management, Boston continues to secure its strong fiscal foundation
BOSTON - Wednesday, February 20, 2019 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced Boston has maintained its perfect AAA bond ratings, as assigned by Moody's Investor Service and S&P Global Ratings. The City has maintained the top credit ratings from both rating agencies since 2014.

According to Moody's Investor Service, Boston's AAA rating reflects the city's strong fiscal management and stable financial position, as well as its large and growing tax base with economic diversity bolstered by significant government, higher education and healthcare sectors. The rating also takes into account Boston's conservatively managed debt profile and its planning efforts with respect to its pension obligations.
"In Boston, we're committed to building a better future for all, and creating opportunities throughout our city," said Mayor Walsh. "These bond ratings will allow us to continue building our strong fiscal foundation, ensuring we have the resources to invest in policies, programs and the work that makes our city, our residents, and our communities successful."

These ratings build on Mayor Walsh's commitment to financial responsibility throughout the City of Boston. Over the past five years, Boston's revenue has grown by 25 percent, and the city has added 20,000 new jobs each year, produced nearly 28,000 new homes, and added over $9.3 billion of development in construction.

Last year, Boston also launched Boston's new investor outreach platform,BuyBostonBonds.com. The new website is the latest step in the city's continued efforts to optimize financial disclosure and is designed to drive investment in Boston's debt, which helps pay for capital projects and investments the City makes. More information about this platform and what it means for investors and residents is also available here.

The agencies routinely cite the City's commitment to fiscal responsibility in the near and long-term. These practices include maintaining strong budgetary reserves, a commitment to conservative borrowing practices, and our decades-long record of achieving yearly budget surpluses, pursuing cost containment strategies like the City's work on reducing healthcare costs, and by prioritizing new operating and capital investments in areas the City has identified through long-term planning efforts.

"The Mayor has prioritized making smart and responsible decisions now that create a clear path to sustainability and prosperity," said Emme Handy, Chief Financial Officer for the City of Boston. "We are tackling our long-term liabilities, managing our resources wisely and investing in our City's priorities. These ratings affirm that we continue to be on the right track."

S&P Global Ratings cites Boston's "very strong" economy as a reason for its AAA rating. Contributing to Boston's strong economy is its talented, diverse workforce; longstanding financial and insurance industries, as well as the city's growing reputation as a tech hub; central location; and recruitment and retainment of college graduates in the city.

In addition, S&P also highlighted Boston's history of proactively addressing future challenges through the city's long-term plans. Included in these highlights are Boston's Climate Action Plan, which addresses goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050; Climate Ready Boston, which develops resilient solutions to prepare Boston for climate change; Go Boston 2030, which aims to ensure equitable, reliable and safe transportation for all residents; and Housing a Changing City, Boston's housing plan which already is well on its way to creating 69,000 new units of housing by 2030.

波士頓華人投資俱樂部商業地產論壇(圖片)












2019 Commercial Real Estate Forum - Grand Opening of BCIC Commercial Real Estate Group Organizers Boston Chinese Investment Club (BCIC) MIT Sloan Greater China Club (GCC) 【Introduction】 地产行业作为一种风险可控,回报稳定的资产类型,一直以来受到机构和个人投资者的广泛青睐。2019年BCIC的揭幕活动,主题为美国商业地产趋势与投资,为您解读2019年全球经济新形势下的美国商业地产趋势。 本次论坛嘉宾分享的内容涵盖一级市场的地产开发并购等不同类型项目的行情解读;二级市场REIT交易解析;以及外国资本投资美国商业地产的税收法律问题等。 Boston Chinese Investment Club & MIT Sloan Greater China Club will hold a forum on Commercial Real Estate Investment on Feb. 15th at MIT from 7:00 to 9:00 pm EST TIME, along with the grand opening of BCIC Commercial Real Estate Group. During this event, we are inviting critical players and experts in the field to unfold the latest trends as well as outlook of the 2019 US commercial real estate landscape. Specifically, the forum will cover the interpretation of different types of deals in the primary market, such as raw land development, flipping, mergers and acquisitions; secondary market of commercial real estate, including the analysis of REIT and risk management; the taxation issues of foreign capital investment in commercial real estate in the United States. Name Brief Description Jeffrey Rosenberg, Dao Investments Founder Jeffrey Rosenberg has founded and operated businesses in the U.S. and Asia in the commodities, life sciences, consumer products, telecommunications and real estate industries. He started working and living in China in 1980. He built more than 100,000 square meters of mostly industrial and commercial space in China. In the mid-1990’s, he was a director of Tishman Speyer Properties responsible for real estate development in Asia Pacific. Most recently, he set up Dao Investments which partners with regional US real estate developers to develop mid-market residential properties in the Boston area. Three of Jeffrey's businesses have been written as Harvard Business School case studies, two about real estate and one about agri-business. Bing Lu, Vesta/ViiNet Fund Manager Mr. Lu is a SEC Registered Investment Advisor. He has over 20-year experience in equity market, expertise in Real Estate Investments; Since 2016 to present, Mr. Lu works at Vesta/ViiNet, primarily oversees real estate investments and quantitative trading, including REITs portfolio managements; Before, he built his investment and management experience in top financial institutions such as Millennium Management, Fidelity Investments, Putnam Investments, Scudder Kemp Investments and Fannie Mae, etc. Arthur R. Kerr II, Vacovec, Mayotte & Singer, LLP Partner Arthur R. Kerr concentrates his practice in international and domestic taxation, business law, contracts, and real estate. Arthur’s tax practice includes offshore and onshore planning and compliance for businesses and individuals, civil and criminal examinations and audits, collection matters, workouts, and tax controversies. He has extensive experience representing clients before the Internal Revenue Service and various state tax authorities. Welcome to the event, and feel free to extend the invitation to your colleagues and those who will benefit!

麻州出現第3宗兒童死於流感個案


(Boston Orange 編譯)麻州當局證實,一名米斗塞郡(Middlesex)女孩死於流感。這已是麻州本季第三宗兒童死於流感個案。
麻州衛生廳在週二,219日時得到這消息。小孩的身分,年齡及居住城鎮尚未公佈。
            今年早前,有關當局證實一名住在傅萊明罕鎮的4歲小孩,一名12歲,來自米爾福(Milford)的中學生,Aaron Zenus,都死於流感。
            麻州傳染病局流行病學及免疫接種專家Larry Madoff主任在一份聲明中表示,這幾宗死亡案件是悲劇,也提醒了人們流感多危險,接種流感疫苗多重要。麻州衛生局勸大家接種疫苗,洗手,咳嗽或打噴嚏時要掩口,一旦生病就應該留在家裏,減少散佈疾病的可能。
            麻州衛生局表示,去年有與流感有關的兒童死亡案有一宗。
            美國疾病管制及預防中心估計,全美每年有12,000 56,000宗與流感併發政有關的死亡案件。用聯邦計算法,麻州估計每年有2501,100麻州居民死於流感併發症。
            在去年的流感季節中,報告到全國疾病控制及預防中心的數目是,全美有185名兒童死於流感。
            根據麻州政府的資料,類似流感或與流感有關的住院個案,在過去幾星期中都下降了。流感高峰期,通常會持續到三月份。

星期二, 2月 19, 2019

紐英崙美中藥協慶已亥豬年新春 (圖片)











全美亞裔總商會青商組2/21邀Christina Qi分享創業心得





Killing It Softly with Kindness!


During this event, Christina will be sharing her story as en entrepreneur in fintech industry. We will also have a discussion on dealing with microaggressions, competition, and other stress factors in life by using humor and kindness, and how it surprisingly pays off over time.
More about Domeyard LP, it has been featured on the front page of Forbes, Nikkei, and other publications. Christina brings experience in investment management, sales and trading, derivatives operations, and technology across Goldman Sachs, UBS Securities, Zions Bank, and MIT Lincoln Labs. She is a visiting lecturer at MIT, within Nobel Laureate Robert Merton’s “Retirement Finance” class since 2014 and is a case study protagonist at Harvard Business School. Christina has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Bloomberg News, and Financal Times, and has contributed to the World Economic Forum. Christina sits on the Board of Directors of The Financial Executives Alliance (FEA) Hedge Fund Group, the MIT Sloan Boston Alumni Association (MIT SBAA), Invest in Girls, the U.S. Non-Profit Boards Committee of 100 Women in Finance, and the Scholarship Committee of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association. Christina and her team have been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 and Boston Business Journal 40 Under 40 lists. She holds an S.B. in Management Science from MIT and is a CAIA Charterholder. Outside of work, Christina is a huge nerd, enjoying anime and board games with friends and family.

星期日, 2月 17, 2019

"離開上海的最後一艘船" 謝漢蘭新書談逃離中國移民 (圖片)

謝漢蘭(Helen Zia)。(周菊子攝)


哈佛大學榮休教授江淵聲(右)出席座談,購書後和謝漢蘭
合影。(周菊子攝)



美貿易代表拒絕豁免中車麻州廠25%進口稅


(Boston Orange 周菊子編譯)川普政府和中國之間的全球貿易戰,已衝擊到麻州春田市,地鐵乘客也都受影響。
中國中車集團(CRRC)設在麻州春田市的集裝廠,簽下麻州灣區交通局(MBTA)843百萬元的合約,得從中國進口零件,組裝約400輛橘線、紅線地鐵車廂。
美國貿易代表最近拒絕該公司的豁免25%零件進口關稅申請要求。
            中車公司在春田市的未來可能受此影響,MBTA車輛組裝成本也將增加數千萬元。
不過MBTA表示,是中國中車公司(CRRC),而不是地鐵乘客或納稅人,必須承受這關稅衝擊。MBTA發言人Joe Pesaturo表示,麻州中國中車公司必須承擔關稅改變造成的任何成本影響。
中國中車公司上週五拒絕就此表示意見。
作為和MBTA協議的一部分,中國政府支持的中國中車公司於2017年在春田市開張了佔地20萬平方呎的春田廠,並於截至2018年底,聘用了大約120名工人,估計2020年時,聘僱人數會超過300
根據中車公司的說法,地鐵車輛有一部分是在中國生產的,再運送到春田市組裝,整輛車至少有60%來自美國供應商,包括鋼製車殼等其餘部分,才是從中國進口的。
            自從川普政府去年開始徵收關稅後,已有數以百計公司申請豁免。
             根據美聯社,在鋼製產品上,美國政府迄今批准了將近14,000宗豁免關稅申請案,拒絕了4,400宗。還有數以千計的申請案正在等待決定。
            中國中車的麻州廠共遞出16項豁免25%關稅申請,包括車殼,空氣管道,天花板,以及其他的中國零件。
             在申請書中,中國中車公司警告道,徵收關稅會增加所有相關方的成本支出,最後或者由大眾承受,或者,換句話說,會導致使用聯邦及州政府資金所得到的價值減少了。
             美國貿易辦公室在本月稍早發給中國中車公司一封信,拒絕該公司的豁免關稅要求,聲稱批准豁免會削弱這關稅項目的目的。
            春田廠的第一輛新橘線車輛預計今年投入服務。一系列人們等待已久的改善,將使得過於擁擠的地鐵現有更多車輛行駛。
               MBTA的合約,也是中國中車能在美國取得更多合約的跳板。該公司已爭取到在春田廠為洛杉磯,費城交通體系組裝車輛的合約。

星期六, 2月 16, 2019

中美健康峰會慶新春匯報成果招募志願者

中美健康峰會聯合創始人馬晶匯報該會緣起。(周菊子攝)
            (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導)中美健康峰會日前在哈佛大學醫學院內舉辦新春茶話會,該會聯合創辦人劉遠立,馬晶,何淑圭談緣起,轉變,展望,並昭告各界,即起徵募2019年度峰會志願者團隊。
             現任哈佛醫學院人群醫學系中國健康創新轉化中心主任、副教授,兼任四川省醫學科學院省人民醫院轉化醫學中心主任,也是中美健康峰會主席的馬晶當晚闡述了中美健康峰會的源起。
馬晶說明中國中心和四川的合作。(周菊子攝)
             她指出,中美兩國在健康醫療領域的合作,從2003年非典(SARS)事件發生後,改變很大,注意力轉往預防醫療,並於2005年請劉遠立在哈佛公衛學院創辦中國計畫,2006年推出中國資深醫療行政人員哈佛研修班,接著2007年在北京舉辦了首屆的哈佛大學中國中央黨校發展論壇,2009年到哈佛大學舉辦了第2屆。
             接著中美健康峰會在2011年誕生了。
這首屆會議有中國衛生部部長陳筑,美國衛生與公眾服務部副部長葛萊德(Sherry Glied)主講,非常隆重,中美雙方與會者都對後續交流十分期待,於是在陳筑建議下,隔年輪流於美國,中國舉行。
中美健康峰會創始人劉遠立匯報近年動態。(周菊子攝)
2013年時,中國醫學科學院北京協和醫學院復辦公共衛生學院,把劉遠立請了回去當院長,中美健康峰會在熱心人士支持下,成立為非牟利組織。
這些年來,中美健康峰會做為非牟利組織,有不少建樹,包括和中國3所醫院,學校簽署了合作備忘錄。2017年北京協和醫學院建院100週年,峰會也特地在北京,波士頓各辦一場大健康,大趨勢會議。
2018是峰會新時代的開始,先是四川省長尹力七月來訪哈佛大學,IBM等學校,企業,接著101214日,在四川成都舉辦了健康中國,健康四川峰會,並在中國推出了創新創業大賽暨醫療健康投融資論壇。今年(2019)將回到波士頓舉行。
Steven Wu (左)談回中國訪問經歷。(周菊子攝)
馬晶指出,中美健康峰會得到中美兩國政府的大力支持,在2011年到2016年間,都被列入中美戰略與經濟對話框架下戰略對話具體成果清單,20152016還被列入中美人文交流高層磋商聯合成果清單。
新成立的中國健康創新與轉化中心將聯合哈佛醫療領域同仁,推進與中國的合作,在如何有效整合三級醫療網和公共衛生服務等議題上,尋找創新模式,把哈佛在技術,服務方面的創新,在理論研究與人才培訓上的做法,帶到中國去,與中國醫療服務市場需求對接,做轉化交流。
劉遠立(左起)主持座談,馬晶,蘇凌雲,何淑圭,
Steven Wu回答出席者提問。(周菊子攝)
劉遠立在會上,也談了很多他回到中國後所見到的中國醫療產業界概況,匯報這些年來,他還應邀擔任國務院深化醫改領導小組專家諮詢委員會委員,國家衛生健康偉健康促進和教育專家指導委員會副主任委員,國家醫療保障菊核心專家組成員,歐美同學會留美醫學專業委員會主任委員,中國老年保健協會會長。他帶領團隊做了許多課題,包括基本公共衛生服務購買機制研究,藥品供應保障與流通領域改革研究,基本醫療衛生法專題研究,中國改善醫療服務第三方評估,中國健康大數據的新型公共衛生管理研究,面向2050的健康中國建設與制度完善研究等。
志願者團隊與出席者互動。周廣寧(右一)主持。(周菊子攝)
他還從為何,何謂,如何等三個角度,闡述健康中國戰略的有6項基本方針,5項重點任務,5項基本制度。包括要以基層為重點,以改革創新為動力,以預防為主,中西醫並重,將健康融入所有政策,人民共建共享等。他指出,健康中國戰略要實施三大轉變,推動三大策略,要由被動至病變為主動健康,由分裂競爭變為整合偕同,藉資訊提供優質醫療服務等。
中美健康峰會的另一名聯合創辦人,奧洛瑞(Aurora)醫療服務總裁暨塔芙茨醫療中心理事何淑圭(Olivia Ho Cheng),哈佛醫學院/麻省總醫院腎內科助理教授暨世界華人醫師協會副會長Steven Wu,以及阿里健康中心資深研究總監蘇凌雲,都在會上分享參與峰會的經驗與心得。
劉遠立(右),馬晶(左)以"我們合作,為世界創造
更健康的明天"做結語。(周菊子攝)
這新春茶話會還安排了一場志願者團隊的分享,包括哈佛大學MGO項目博士也是中美健康峰會創新項目主管周廣寧,布萊根婦女醫院博士後童佩等人分享經驗。查詢中美健康峰會志願者項目詳情,可上網https://www.uschinahealthsummit.org/
copy-of-volunteer-programs







星期五, 2月 15, 2019

BEVERLY COUPLE ARRESTED FOR TRAFFICKING WOMEN FOR SEX AT SALEM BROTHEL

BEVERLY COUPLE ARRESTED FOR TRAFFICKING WOMEN FOR SEX AT SALEM BROTHEL
SALEM – A Beverly man and woman have been arrested and arraigned for trafficking women for sex at a Salem brothel that served as an alleged front for human trafficking and money laundering, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today. 

Woonryong Heo, age 29, and Hayun Nam, age 29, were arrested on Wednesday in Beverly by Massachusetts State Police assigned to the AG’s Office. Heo and Nam were charged with one count each of Trafficking of Persons for Sexual Servitude, Deriving Support from Prostitution, and Money Laundering.

The defendants were arraigned on Thursday in Salem District Court where they both pleaded not guilty to the charges. Bail was set at $50,000 cash for each defendant, with the conditions of release that both Heo and Nam remain on house arrest with GPS tracking, stay away from and have no contact with the victim, surrender their passports, and not travel out of state. A probable cause hearing is scheduled for March 14. 

These arrests are the result of an investigation by Massachusetts State Police assigned to the AG’s Office. During the course of the investigation, authorities developed evidence indicating that Heo and Nam ran a profitable and organized criminal enterprise through a residential brothel in Salem where they offered sexual activity between women and buyers in exchange for a fee.

The defendants allegedly recruited women, advertised sexual services online, set up appointments for sexual encounters, and transported the women, in some cases bringing them to or from South Station in Boston and Flushing, N.Y. Heo and Nam allegedly received most of the profits from the sexual encounters.
AG Healey’s Victim Services Division is working with victim service organizations to ensure victims have the assistance and services they need.
The investigation remains ongoing. These charges are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

AG Healey has a dedicated Human Trafficking Division that focuses on policy, prevention and prosecution and includes a team of specialized prosecutors, victim advocates and Massachusetts State Police troopers who handle high impact, multi-jurisdictional human trafficking investigations and prosecutions across the state. Through the Human Trafficking Division, the AG’s Office has charged more than 40 individuals in connection with human trafficking since the law was passed.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bourgeois, of the AG’s Human Trafficking Division, with assistance from AG Healey’s Victim/Witness Services Division Chief Nikki Antonucci and Senior Financial Investigator Molly Parks. The investigation was handled by the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the AG’s Office, with assistance from the AG’s Digital Evidence Lab, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Beverly, Salem, Boston and Lexington Police Departments, and the Massachusetts Department of Corrections.

Duckworth, Hirono and Takano Introduce Legislation to Prevent Atrocities Like Mass Japanese American Incarceration From Repeating

Duckworth, Hirono and Takano Introduce Legislation to Prevent Atrocities Like Mass Japanese American Incarceration From Repeating

Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2019 would prohibit imprisonment or detainment of citizens solely on the basis of who they are, not what they’ve done.

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – In advance of the next week’s Day of Remembrance recognizing the incarceration of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Congressman Mark Takano (D-CA-41), introduced the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2019 to establish a clear legal prohibition against un-American policies that seek to imprison American citizens on the basis of race, religion, nationality, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity or disability. Passing this bill would be a first step toward safeguarding vital freedoms that protect Americans from arbitrary detention with no due process, as happed to Japanese Americans during World War II.

“We, as a nation, must never forget or repeat the horrors thousands of Japanese Americans experienced as prisoners within our own borders,” Duckworth said.“We must also continue to do everything we can to ensure such a national travesty never happens again. I’m proud to introduce this bill with Senator Hirono and Congressman Takano, in honor of the courage of Fred Korematsu and in remembrance of my dear friend and former colleague Mark Takai, to protect civil liberties and strengthen our resolve to ensure we never again repeat such shameful acts.”
  
“The incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II was deeply wrong and something like it should never happen again,” Hirono said. “Over the past two years, however, Donald Trump and his administration have pursued divisive policies and rhetoric that demonize the Muslim community and other marginalized groups. By repudiating the Supreme Court’s precedent inKorematsu, this legislation makes clear that a travesty like the Japanese internment should never happen again. And by standing up for the civil rights of all communities, we honor the life and work of our friend and colleague Mark Takai.” 

“We cannot allow what my parents, grandparents, and 115,000 other Japanese Americans underwent during World War II to ever happen again in our country,” Takano said. “The cruelty and inhumanity behind the internment of Japanese Americans is a stain on the fabric of our country that was born out of hate, discrimination, and politics rooted in fearmongering. The rhetoric and policies being promoted by this Administration are a cause for concern and further emphasize the need for this legislation. In honor of Congressman Takai and Fred Korematsu, we must ensure that no person is ever a target of despicable policies that are discriminatory and un-American.”

Their legislation is named in honor of the late U.S. Congressman Mark Takai from Hawaii for his long-time leadership on this issue prior to his passing, and Fred Korematsu, who bravely challenged the Civilian Executive Order in the Supreme Court that directed all people of Japanese ancestry be removed from designated areas on the West Coast.

In 1942, the Lieutenant General of the Western Command of the Army issued Civilian Exclusion Order 34. On December 18, 1944, the Supreme Court affirmed his conviction in Korematsu v. United States. The Non-Detention Act of 1971 sought to remedy this problem by repudiating the legal framework allowing the government to detain U.S. citizens by deeming them national security risks. However, the Non-Detention Act did not specifically bar detentions or imprisonment based on characteristics such as race or religion. The Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2019 would fix this problem once and for all. Duckworth, Hirono and Takano originally introduced this legislation in 2017.

The Federal criminal code contains no explicit prohibition on imprisoning or detaining citizens solely on the basis of race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin or disability. The threat is amplified by the fact that the Supreme Court of the United States did not directly overrule the precedents set by the three condemned decisions of KorematsuHirabayashi and Yasui. Despite the Office of the Solicitor General of the United States apologizing for the federal government’s misconduct in hiding evidence while litigating the Korematsu andHirabayashi case, just last year – in 2018 – the U.S. Department of Defensepositively cited Hirabayashi as good law and failed to provide Congress with an explanation for this irresponsible and reckless action.

“This year marks my father’s 100th birthday and the 75th anniversary ofKorematsu v. United States decision. At these milestones, it is a reminder that we must ‘Stand Up For What is Right’ and ‘Stop Repeating History’ by enacting a law that will ensure what happened to my father and 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry can never be done to anyone again in the US,” said Karen Korematsu, founder and executive director of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute. “It is fitting at this time of national stress that our lawmakers use their powers to correct one of the worst U.S. Supreme Court decisions of all time. I am grateful for the leadership of Senator Duckworth, Senator Hirono and Congressman Takano for introducing a bill that honors both my father and the late Congressman Takai.”

“The Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act acknowledges a dark chapter of our history when our government used national security as a pretext for racial discrimination, and incarcerated tens of thousands of Japanese Americans unconstitutionally,” said National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) President Daniel Sakaguchi. “This bill honors the memories of Fred Korematsu and Congressman Mark Takai by enacting measures to stop this sordid history from being repeated — and would bar detentions based on race, religion, or other protected characteristics.  We thank Senator Duckworth, Senator Hirono, and Congressman Takano for continuing to champion this important legislation and the more than a dozen original cosponsors of the bill for joining this effort to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of all communities.”

“We are five days from the date when President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which ordered the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans in 1942. It was a dark day both then and now in the civil liberties and civil rights of all Americans,” said John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC. “We applaud Senator Duckworth for introducing this legislation to protect vulnerable communities from atrocities such as the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans against which Fred Korematsu bravely stood. We are proud to support the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act to uphold Mr. Korematsu’s legacy to ensure such acts of injustice never happen again.”

Cosponsors of the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2019 include U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

This legislation is endorsed by the Korematsu Institute, Stop Repeating History, the Anti-Defamation League, the Japanese American Citizens League, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, NAACP, Human Rights Campaign, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies and Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC.