David Suzuki quote on Japanese Canadian redress: prophetic for Chinese Canadian Head Tax Redress



During the Japanese Canadian redress there was a very similar situation
to the current Chinese Head Tax redress process, where the Govt had
worked with one group,  then another group arose to oppose and ask
for
inclusion.  In the end everybody was included and the settlement
was
accepted.

Here is the quote from David Suzuki made around 1984 (page 179)

“David Suzuki, a broadcaster, geneticist and enviornmental activist who
attended the meeting on his own, had called for caution in attempting
to politicize redress:


We are a minority group that is so
small that we don't count anywhere.  What we have going for us is the
moral rightness of the issue.  There is a great deal of pressure now to
ram through something because this government is tottering on shaky
legs.  There is no question in my mind that George is right, that this
is a very opportune moment politically.  Whatever is done is not going
to be done by addressing the moral issue involved.  It's going to be
done for purely political reasons and you're going to be bought out if
you don't watch yourselves very carefully.”  p.179 Roy Miki, Redress