---
kind: "section"
citation: "50 U.S.C. § 4201"
title: "50"
title_heading: "War and National Defense"
number: "4201"
heading: "Purposes"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/50/4201"
units:
  - "Chapter 52 — Restitution for World War Ii Internment of Japanese-Americans and Aleuts"
---

# §4201. Purposes


The purposes of this chapter are to—

- (1) acknowledge the fundamental injustice of the evacuation, relocation, and internment of United States citizens and permanent resident aliens of Japanese ancestry during World War II;
- (2) apologize on behalf of the people of the United States for the evacuation, relocation, and internment of such citizens and permanent resident aliens;
- (3) provide for a public education fund to finance efforts to inform the public about the internment of such individuals so as to prevent the recurrence of any similar event;
- (4) make restitution to those individuals of Japanese ancestry who were interned;
- (5) make restitution to Aleut residents of the Pribilof Islands and the Aleutian Islands west of Unimak Island, in settlement of United States obligations in equity and at law, for—
  - (A) injustices suffered and unreasonable hardships endured while those Aleut residents were under United States control during World War II;
  - (B) personal property taken or destroyed by United States forces during World War II;
  - (C) community property, including community church property, taken or destroyed by United States forces during World War II; and
  - (D) traditional village lands on Attu Island not rehabilitated after World War II for Aleut occupation or other productive use;
- (6) discourage the occurrence of similar injustices and violations of civil liberties in the future; and
- (7) make more credible and sincere any declaration of concern by the United States over violations of human rights committed by other nations.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 100–383, § 1, Aug. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 903.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 1989 of the former Appendix to this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.