Dave Toru Matsuo, representing Agape Fellowship and Asian American Journey, testified before the Commission with both gratitude and frustration. While thankful for the hearings, he challenged commissioners to go beyond data collection and confront the state’s moral guilt for incarceration.

• Mixed Feelings: Expressed disappointment that more commissioners were absent in Los Angeles but appreciation for efforts to hold community sessions in Little Tokyo.

• Purpose of the Commission: Questioned Justice Goldberg’s suggestion that the Commission’s role was limited to calculating reparations, arguing instead that its work must indict the state itself.

• What’s Unsaid: Emphasized that many Japanese Americans remain silent out of fear, shame, or trauma. Urged commissioners to consider not only the testimonies presented, but also the absences — the voices unheard.

• State Accountability: Insisted the issue was not just whether mistakes were made, but whether the state itself was wrong in enacting Executive Order 9066. Called it a “criminal action” requiring restitution.

• Beyond Apology: Declared an apology alone was inadequate. Reparations were necessary as both corrective and preventative measures, ensuring such injustices could not be repeated.

• For Heirs Too: Pointed out the generational trauma passed to children and grandchildren. Said heirs must be included in reparations, since families were fragmented and disintegrated by incarceration.

• Moral & Compassionate Duty: Compared this Commission’s opportunity to the Kerner Commission, but with the chance to do more — not just identify racism, but mandate restitution. Called for courage and compassion in indicting the state and affirming justice.