from a mass email I got late Friday afternoon (July 20) from UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center:
REMEMBERING AIKO HERZIG-YOSHINAGA (1925-2018) We at the UCLA Asian American Studies Center are saddened by the loss of Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga, who passed away on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 at the age of 92. She was beloved by her family, friends, and colleagues and celebrated for her leadership and lifetime commitment to justice. She was a hero for her extraordinary work to uncover key documents that led to the recognition of the unjust role of the U.S. government in incarcerating more than 120,000 Japanese residents during World War II. The paper trail that she and her late husband, Jack Herzig, discovered helped to pave the way for the passage of the 1988 Civil Liberties Act, an official apology by the government, reparations of $20,000 for each camp survivor, and the vacating of wartime convictions of Japanese Americans who challenged the forced removal in Coram nobis cases. Prior to this, she was involved in civil rights work in New York through Asian Americans for Action and related activities.
Aiko and Jack's legacy can be found, in part, in the Jack and Aiko Herzig Papers housed at the UCLA Library Special Collections. This collection represents their decades-long personal research and their work with the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, the Office of Redress Administration, the National Council for Japanese American Redress, and the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund. Our Center was honored to have partnered with Aiko to archive their collection for free public community access. A short video about the collections (shared below), features a passage on Aiko's life and work that we hope raises further awareness of her important contributions. Our sincere condolences to her family, loved ones, and friends. May our remembrances of Aiko continue to guide and inspire us.
- UCLA Asian American Studies Center
