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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
201 |
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TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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honoring chiune sugihara for his selfless acts, decency, and humanitarian deeds in the face of adversity during world war ii that saved thousands of innocent lives from the slaughter of the holocaust.
WHEREAS, in these times of worldwide political upheaval, social unrest, and fragile global socioeconomic relations, such as during the turmoil and strife of World War II, certain extraordinary individuals will rise above the call to honor choosing between loyalty to one's country and loyalty to mankind; and
WHEREAS, as the regime of the Third Reich of Nazi Germany continued its assault on Europe, exterminating over 6 million Jews in their effort to achieve worldwide domination and establish one master race, although virtually unheard of, few individuals did rise to face the challenge and do what was humanely possible to lessen the effects of an abhorrent regime; and
WHEREAS, CHIUNE SUGIHARA is one such individual, embodied by the finest spirit of mankind and the conscience of a saint, who made a choice when he issued transit visas to desperate Jews, despite receiving strict orders from Tokyo not to do so, allowing them to flee the German invasion of Poland and inevitable death in the concentration camps; and
WHEREAS, as history would write it, in September of 1939, the German war machine rolled into Poland, decimating cities and towns, and beginning the slaughter of the Jewish people that caused thousands to flee into neighboring Lithuania; and
WHEREAS, on July 27, 1940, Chiune Sugihara, awoke to shouts and screams outside of his home in Kaunas, Lithuania, from hundreds of frightened and beleaguered men, women, and children, as Jewish families clamored to save their lives, seeking to escape Europe; and
WHEREAS, CHIUNE SUGIHARA, Japanese Consul in Lithuania, receiving numerous reports of German atrocities against Jewish people, immediately began issuing visas day and night to allow Polish Jewish immigrants passage to China through Siberia and Japan, eventually issued over 2,000 visas and saving the lives of over 8,000 Jewish immigrants; and
WHEREAS, understanding the true impact of the Holocaust, Chiune Sugihara, along with his wife Yukiko, continued to defy the Japanese government by writing visas, even after receiving telegrams from Tokyo ordering the discontinued issuance of visas; and
WHEREAS, upon his return to Japan, Chiune Sugihara's status as a diplomat was revoked by the Japanese Foreign Ministry and his name was struck from historical records as a result of his humanitarian efforts of issuing visas against their direct orders; and
WHEREAS, denied public honor and disowned by his government, the decency and tremendous humanitarian efforts of CHIUNE SUGIHARA went unnoticed by much of the world, causing him to remain an unsung hero of World War II, except among those he saved, until recent revelations of his exploits began to surface and were brought forth by the international Jewish community; and
WHEREAS, CHIUNE SUGIHARA was second only to Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg in the number of Jewish lives saved from the Holocaust, has now received numerous awards and recognition from Israel and Lithuania; thus restoring his honor; and
WHEREAS, Seymour Kazimirski, a Waialae Nui resident, whose mother Ann, is a Holocaust survivor from Poland, will take part as a panelist in one of a series of events sponsored by the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, honoring CHIUNE SUGIHARA; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, that this body hereby acknowledges the heroic acts of CHIUNE SUGIHARA, commends and praises him for his compassion, decency, and humanitarian deeds performed in the face of such adversity; honors the memory of
this great man, truly an unsung hero of World War II; and extends to his family, especially his wife, Yukiko, who served with him during these trying times, its sincere best wishes and heartfelt aloha.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Report Title:
Honoring Chiune Sugihara for his selfless acts, decency, and humanitarian deeds in the face of adversity during World War II that saved thousands of innocent lives from the slaughter of the holocaust.