Isamu Shibayama facts for kids

Isamu 'Art' Carlos Shibayama was a brave activist from Peru who also became an American citizen. He spent his life fighting for the rights of people from Latin American countries, especially those of Japanese background, who were unfairly held in special camps in the United States during World War II.

Isamu Shibayama: A Fight for Fairness

Early Life and Internment

Isamu Shibayama was born in Lima, Peru, in 1930. When he was just 13 years old, a terrible thing happened. Peruvian police rounded up Isamu and his family. They were then sent by ship to the United States.

When they arrived in New Orleans, they were arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. From there, they were taken to the Crystal City Internment Camp in Texas. They were held there as a kind of hostage. The U.S. government planned to use them in exchanges for American prisoners held by Japan.

Isamu and his family were not alone. More than two thousand people of Japanese descent from Latin American countries faced the same fate. Most of these people were from Peru.

Starting a New Life

In 1946, a year after World War II ended, Isamu's family was finally released from the camp. But their troubles were not over. Peru refused to let them return home. This left them stranded in the United States.

They fought against being sent to Japan, a country they barely knew. Eventually, they were allowed to stay in the U.S. if they found someone to support them. Isamu finally gained legal status in 1956. It wasn't until 1972 that he was allowed to become a U.S. citizen.

Standing Up for What's Right

Years later, the U.S. government passed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. This law gave $20,000 to Japanese Americans who had been held in similar camps. It was an apology and a way to make up for the wrong that was done. However, this law did not include people like Isamu who were not U.S. citizens during the war.

A group of Japanese Latin Americans formed a group called the Campaign for Justice. They sued the government for equal treatment. In 1999, they won their case. The government offered each of them $5,000 to settle a group lawsuit called Mochizuki v. United States.

But Isamu Shibayama felt this was not fair. He refused the $5,000 payment. He believed everyone who was wrongly held should get the same amount. He sued on his own, asking for the same $20,000 that Japanese Americans received. After losing in a U.S. federal court, he and his brothers took their case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in 2003. This is a special court that deals with human rights issues in the Americas.

Isamu Shibayama passed away on July 31, 2018, in San Jose, California. His fight for justice was still ongoing when he died. However, the IACHR eventually ruled in his favor on August 4, 2020. This was a big victory for his long fight for fairness.

His Story on Film

In 2009, a documentary film was made about the U.S. government's actions during World War II. It showed how Japanese-Peruvian citizens were taken from their homes and held in camps. The film also included a biography of Isamu Shibayama and his important story.

See also

In Spanish: Isamu Shibayama para niños