Remembering Ruthann Kurose, “one of the unsung heroes” of redress for Japanese Americans

Ruthann Shigeko Kurose, a human rights activist and legislative aide who championed Japanese American redress payments in the 1980s, passed away on October 15, 2026, at her Mercer Island home. Born in Seattle in 1951, Kurose worked tirelessly from 1979 to 1988 in Congressman Mike Lowry’s office to organize congressional support for reparations, which Congress finally approved in 1988. She later served in various civic roles, including positions with Seattle and Tacoma city governments.