Today I am pleased to sign into law H.R. 4551, the "Civil Liberties Act Amendments of 1992." This legislation fulfills the commitment that this country made in 1988 to individuals of Japanese ancestry who were interned or relocated during World War II, and to their families.
In the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, the United States apologized for the wrongful internment and relocation of innocent, loyal individuals and promised monetary compensation to each such person (or his or her heirs). The funds provided by this bill will ensure that all of these individuals are compensated as promised. These payments are compelled by justice, and I am pound to sign this bill into law.
H.R. 4551 also makes important technical amendments to the 1988 Act, which will help to ensure fair treatment of claimants and smooth administration of this program.
No monetary payments can ever fully compensate loyal Japanese Americans for one of the darkest incidents in American constitutional history. We must do everything possible to ensure that such a grave wrong is never repeated.
George Bush
The White House,
September 27, 1992.
Note: H.R. 4551, approved September 27, was assigned Public Law No. 102 - 371.
George Bush, Statement on Signing the Civil Liberties Act Amendments of 1992 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/268275