HAYWARD — Assemblyman Johan Klehs, D-San Leandro, is hoping a joint resolution will help preserve World War II Japanese-American internment camps as historical sites.

Klehs authored Assembly Joint Resolution 23, which encourages Congress to pass U.S. House of Representatives House Resolution 1492.

If passed, the House resolution would authorize $38 million in federal funds to restore and protect internment camp sites for future generations of Americans to visit, and learn about that period in the nation's history.

The joint resolution was approved last week by the Assembly Judiciary Committee and was passed on the Assembly Floor by a vote of 69 to 0.

"California is home to many of the

120,000 Japanese-American citizens who were taken from their homes and interned during the war," Klehs said. "Many Californians suffered in these detention centers, and we owe it to them and their families to preserve those sites and teach our children what happened there. We cannot forget this dark period in the history of our country."

HR 1492 was co-authored by state Congressman Bill Thomas, Congresswoman Doris Matsui and Congressman Mike Honda. Matsui was born in an internment camp and Honda spent his early childhood in one. The House resolution was unanimously approved by the House Resources Committee in May. It will next be considered by the full House of Representatives.

According to Klehs' office, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order

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9006 in 1942 to authorize the establishment of internment camps for Japanese-American citizens. The camps were surrounded by barbed wire and patrolled by military police. Many of the citizens detained there lost their homes and businesses.

This bill would require the Secretary of the Interior to create a program within the National Park Service to acquire and preserve the historic camp sites.

Klehs serves the 18th Assembly District, which includes San Leandro, Hayward, Dublin, most of Castro Valley and Pleasanton, and a portion of Oakland, as well as the unincorporated areas of Ashland, Cherryland and San Lorenzo.

For more information, contact Johan Klehs' District Office at (510) 541-3055.