With a landmark state study on slave-era insurance policies about to be released, Gov. Gray Davis addressed the issue of possible reparations to California minorities yesterday, saying, "Clearly, we want to right any wrongs and do justice to people who were taken advantage of."

Davis made the comments while appearing with the Rev. Jesse Jackson ....

Jackson, at a news conference, said the California Department of Insurance study on slave-era insurance practices represented "a ground-breaking national issue." He said the findings, scheduled to be released Wednesday, might raise the possibility of reparations from private businesses owed to African Americans -- and Californians of Chinese and Mexican descent.

"We do know that the same ships that brought Africans over, to become African Americans . . . brought in Chinese to the West Coast," said Jackson, referring to immigrant laborers, known derogatorily as "coolies," who worked on the railroads and other building projects, including the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta levees.

Jackson said African Americans, as well as Mexican Americans, also appeared to have been the victims of unethical insurance business practices in which they were charged more than whites for the same services.

"Mexican Americans paid more, and African Americans paid more, . . . than the policies were worth," he said.

Jackson, in an editorial board meeting at The Chronicle this week, said he would not expect reparations to be paid to individuals but to nonprofit groups, ......