Victory!

Petition updateRecognize Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi's Bravery with the Presidential Medal of FreedomVictory!

Endo Presidential Medal of Freedom CommitteeOR, United States

28 Jan 2025

We are thrilled to share the news that on January 2, 2025, Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Joseph R. Biden. Although our committee advocated for her to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Presidential Citizens Medal is the country’s second highest civilian honor, and we view this posthumous award as a victory for Endo, her family, and for the American people as a whole.

During World War II, Endo and more than 120,000 of her fellow Japanese Americans were incarcerated in concentration camps. She bravely fought that injustice, eventually winning her case before the Supreme Court and playing a significant role in the closing of the concentration camps and the return of Japanese Americans to the West Coast in 1945 and 1946.

Endo’s bravery set an example for all Americans.

In his remarks about the award, President Biden said, “Her resolve allowed thousands of Japanese Americans to return home and rebuild their lives, reminding us that we are a nation that stands for freedom for all.”

In a statement about the award, California Congresswoman Doris Matsui said, “Her commitment to seek justice validated the most American of ideas — that any of us, ordinary Americans, hold enormous power to have an extraordinary impact through our actions and our willingness to stand up for what is right.”

We are grateful that Endo’s strength, perseverance, and pursuit of justice has finally been recognized. Her legacy will continue to inspire those who stand up against injustice — sometimes at great personal cost — for generations to come.

Energetic support from the public was vital to the success of this campaign, and we want to thank everyone who signed this petition.

In addition, this well-deserved recognition would not have happened without the dedicated work of a broad team of folks from around the country, including the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (particularly Sen. Mazie Hirono, Rep. Jill Tokuda, and Rep. Mark Takano).