The idea of a state apologizing for, much less paying for, its actions toward its own citizens was almost unthinkable until Nazi Germany orchestrated a large-scale genocide. Though demands for apologies and financial restitution are not new, reparations for a state’s behavior toward its citizens are relatively modern. Many argue that slavery in America has legacies that continue to shape society today. But the United States' track record of reparations and official apologies is scattershot-and it has yet to tackle one of its most glaring injustices-the enslavement of African Americans. Today, the law is remembered as the most successful push for reparations for a historic wrong in U.S. To me, the beauty and strength of this country is that it is able to admit wrong and issue redress.” “It offered an apology and a redress payment.
“The country made a mistake, and admitted it was wrong,” he says. Now, Mineta felt, the government had finally begun the process of reconciliation. Flashback: How Japanese Americans Were Forced Into Concentration Camps During WWII
