SAN FRANCISCO -- "Apology diplomacy," a staple of politics in Asia, has made its way to the California State Assembly. Taking action on an issue that has divided Japanese Americans, the state assembly in the capital at Sacramento recently passed a resolution asking Japan to apologize for World War II crimes and pay reparations to victims.
The resolution was approved without opposition on a voice vote -- a parliamentary maneuver by the assembly speaker to smooth over intraparty differences -- and to avoid polarization of the issue in public.
An unsuccessful last-minute effort was made to broker an agreement between the legislature's only two Japanese Americans, Democratic assemblymen Mike Honda of San Jose and George Nakano of Torrance.