Grant Ujifusa, a passionate citizen lobbyist who fervently urged President Ronald Reagan to reconsider his stance and sign legislation that provided cash reparations and a formal apology to Japanese Americans unjustly imprisoned during World War II, passed away on October 21 in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania. He was 82 years old. His son, Steven, confirmed that the cause of death was pulmonary fibrosis, which he succumbed to in the hospital of his retirement community.

In 1982, Mr. Ujifusa was working as a book editor in New York when he was appointed as the legislative strategist for the Japanese American Citizens League, a prominent civil rights organization. This appointment was part of a broader initiative aimed at passing a bill that would grant reparations to Japanese Americans who had been forcibly removed from their homes on the West Coast following the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan.

Although Mr. Ujifusa and his family were not directly affected by the mass evictions and relocations that impacted approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans—many of whom were U.S. citizens—his upbringing in Wyoming placed him within 90 miles of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center. This infamous inland camp, surrounded by barbed wire, held detainees who suffered the loss of their jobs, homes, and personal freedoms, driven by unfounded fears that they could act as spies or saboteurs for Imperial Japan.

Mr. Ujifusa was also a founding editor of The Almanac of American Politics, an influential insider’s guide that meticulously detailed the congressional districts, voting records, and personal backgrounds of every member of Congress. His deep connections and understanding of the political landscape led respected elders in the Japanese American community to believe that he was exceptionally well-suited to garner support on Capitol Hill for their cause.