BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 37
AUTHOR: Furutani
AMENDED: April 15, 2009
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: June 10, 2009
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Kathleen Chavira
SUBJECT : Honorary Degrees
SUMMARY
This bill requires the California State University and the
California Community Colleges, requests the University of
California, and urges independent colleges and
universities, to work with their respective colleges and
universities to confer honorary degrees upon persons forced
to leave a public postsecondary institution as the result
of the internment of the Japanese during World War II.
BACKGROUND
Executive Order 9066, issued by President Franklin D.
Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, caused the incarceration of
approximately 120,000 Americans and resident aliens of
Japanese ancestry in camps throughout the United State
during World War II. On August 10, 1988, President Ronald
Reagan signed into law the Civil Liberties Act of 1988
apologizing for the internment of the Japanese on behalf of
the U.S. government and declaring that Executive Order 9066
was carried out without adequate security reasons and was
motivated largely by racial prejudice, wartime hysteria,
and a failure of political leadership.
AB 781 (Lieber, Chapter 130, Statutes of 2003) authorized a
high school district, unified school district, or county
office of education, to retroactively grant a high school
diploma to a person who:
Did not receive a high school diploma due to
internment by order of the federal government during
World War II.
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Was enrolled in a high school operated by the
school district or under the jurisdiction of the
county office of education immediately preceding his
or her internment.
Did not receive a high school diploma because the
pupil's education was interrupted due to his or her
internment.
ANALYSIS
This bill :
1) Requires the Trustees of the CSU and the Board of
Governors of the CCC, and requests the Regents of the
UC to work with their respective colleges and
universities to confer honorary degrees upon persons
forced to leave a public postsecondary institution as
the result of the internment of the Japanese during
World War II.
2) Authorizes a surviving next of kin, or representative
chosen by a surviving next of kin, to accept an
honorary degree conferred upon a deceased person on
their behalf.
3) Urges compliance with these provisions by independent
colleges and universities, as defined.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) What has already been done ? According to the author, a
handful of California's higher education institutions
have awarded honorary degrees or otherwise recognized
Japanese Americans whose educations were interrupted
because of their incarceration during World War II.
Specifically, UC Berkeley in 1992, San Francisco State
University in 1998, Sierra College in 2007, and the
University of Southern California in 2008, have all
recognized these students in some form.
2) How many students ? According to a 1949 study (Robert
O'Brien, The College Nisei ), 2,567 Japanese American
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students were enrolled in higher education
institutions in California at the time of the
internment order. Of these, 729 were enrolled at UC,
221 at the CSU and 1,245 at the community colleges.
3) Related activity . The UC recently convened a joint
Administration-Academic Senate Task Force to consider,
among other things, whether any recognition of these
students is appropriate, what precedent such
recognition might establish, and what mechanisms are
available to recognize such students. The Task Force
made its recommendations to the Academic Council in
March 2009 and is awaiting action by the Academic
Senate. According to the UC, the proposed policies to
be considered by the Regents and Academic Senate are
in line with this bill's provisions.
In May 2009, the CSU Academic Senate unanimously
approved a resolution strongly urging campuses to seek
out and honor alumni unable to complete their degrees
as a result of internment during World War II with an
honorary degree, ceremonies of acknowledgement and/or
other appropriate recognition.
4) Different standards . Current law authorizes school
districts and county offices of education to
retroactively grant high school diplomas to
individuals interned during World War II. This bill
would require the CSU and community colleges to grant
honorary degrees to these individuals, as specified.
Although the UC is requested to take such action, this
bill would allow the UC and independent colleges to
determine how best to recognize its formerly interned
students. Is it reasonable to require some and not
others to comply with specified recognition actions?
Is requiring specific recognition by the CSU and CCC
necessary given recent efforts to authorize and
encourage such actions? Staff recommends the bill be
amended to require the CSU and CCC to consider, and
report on their plans to appropriately recognize
persons forced to leave a public postsecondary
institution as the result of the internment of the
Japanese during World War II.
SUPPORT
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Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges
Board of Trustees, Marin Community College District
Little Tokyo Service Center
Long Beach City College
The Sikh Coalition
University of California Student Association (UCSA)
OPPOSITION
None received.