dayofremembrance.org

Video: Assembly on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians

2008-05-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

"Here, in America?: the Assembly on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians" was a grassroots public education event presenting and documenting little-known first-person accounts of U.S. government human rights violations during World War II and post-9/11. The event was held on April 8-9, 2005, at Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. A distinguished panel of scholars and community leaders heard testimonies from former internees of Japanese, German and Italian descent who were caught up in the U.S. "enemy alien" program. Several of the individuals who testified were abducted from Latin America for purposes of hostage exchange with Japan and Germany.

This Assembly expanded on the work of the Congressional commission hearings of 1981 which led to the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 and reparations for over 82,000 Japanese American internees. This Assembly focused on the hidden stories of the immigrants and US citizens of German, Italian and Japanese ancestry who have not yet received proper acknowledgment or redress for the violation of their rights. These little-known stories and those from communities now identified as "the enemy" since 9/11 have relevance for all people in the United States, regardless of race or ethnicity.

http://campaignforjusticejla.org/

NCRR Website Introduces the Day of Remembrance Archives

2008-02-26T11:22:00.000-08:00

The Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress (NCRR) in Los Angeles is pleased to introduce the Day of Remembrance Archives, a new exhibit located on NCRR’s website, http://www.ncrr-la.org/. NCRR invites the community and interested individuals to view the retrospective of NCRR-sponsored Los Angeles Day of Remembrance (DOR) programs.

Each February, from 1981 to the present, NCRR has hosted the DOR in Los Angeles to acknowledge President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s February 19, 1942 signing of Executive Order 9066. The order allowed the military to forcibly remove and incarcerate over 110,000 men, women and children in America’s concentration camps during World War II.

The DOR program has traditionally honored the Issei and the Nisei who suffered the dire effects of the unconstitutional and unwarranted incarceration. During the historic campaign for redress and reparations the DORs rallied the community to participate and also to support other groups who suffered from similar injustices.

Keynote speakers have included Congressional representatives Robert Matsui, Norman Mineta, Alan Cranston, and Mervyn Dymally. The social justice issues of Arab and Muslim Americans and the forced repatriation of Mexican Americans in the 1930’s have been presented in recent DOR programs. The Campaign for Justice for Japanese Latin Americans continues to be a focus of the Day of Remembrance.

The DOR program has been co-sponsored by different organizations including the Japanese American Citizens League Pacific Southwest District; the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center; the Japanese American National Museum; and other community organizations. The previous 26 DOR posters are the portals to each year’s program. By clicking on the date below each poster, the viewer can find the program summary, photos, speeches, and news articles about each event.

Miles Hamada, graphic artist and web designer, worked with NCRR to develop the DOR archive site. The Archive project is funded by a grant from the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program (CCLPEP). For more information contact NCRR at ncrrla@yahoo.com.

Event Marks 65th Commemoration of Internment Camp Opening in Honouliuli, O‘ahu

2008-02-21T11:49:00.000-08:00

In remembrance of the more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry interned during World War II in Hawai‘i and the continental U.S., join the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i (JCCH) and the Japanese American Citizens League-Honolulu Chapter (JACL) as they mark the 65th commemoration of the opening of the Honouliuli Internment Camp with the event, "Never Again: E.O. 9066 to Honouliuli" on Sunday, March 2, 2008; from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i fifth floor, Manoa Room. Admission is free.

“Though this little-known story of internment of Japanese Americans in Hawai‘i during World War II goes back 65 years and beyond, its ending is still being written,” said Brian Niiya, JCCH Resource Center Director, whose team of volunteers is leading the JCCH’s endeavors in preserving former internment sites in Hawai‘i such as Honouliuli Internment Camp in Central O‘ahu. “We hope the community will join us in our efforts to tell this story to present and future generations to encourage that we never again repeat this unjust period in history.”

Event attendees can learn about the history and latest developments on the preservation of the Honouliuli Internment Camp from various reports, a video presentation and speakers:-- Jeff Burton, National Park Service archeologist who reviewed 35 World War II internment sites on the continental U.S., will share his most recent findings regarding Honouliuli;-- Frank Hays, Pacific Area Director of the National Park Services, will relate his experiences and involvement in the preservation of the World War II Manzanar National Historic Site in California. -- Gail Honda, researcher on the experiences of Hawai‘i internee Otokichi Ozaki, will share her perceptions; and-- Eric Yamamoto, law professor at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, William Richardson School of Law, will give insight to his legal work and scholarship on civil rights and reparations for historic injustice.

Under Executive Order 9066—signed by President Franklin Roosevelt on February 19,1942—120,000 people of Japanese ancestry (two-thirds of those people were American citizens) were removed from their west coast homes on the continental U.S. and unjustly detained behind barbed wire and stripped of their basic Constitutional rights. In Hawai‘i, the Honouliuli Internment Camp was opened on March 1, 1943 for the detention of approximately 300 Hawai‘i residents, most of whom were American citizens of Japanese ancestry.

The commemoration and an archaeological survey of the Honouliuli site are being coordinated with the support of Monsanto Hawaii—an agricultural company that provides farming products and solutions worldwide—that acquired the camp site as part of a larger land purchase last year and committed to working with the community to preserve and protect it.

The event’s co-presenter, Japanese American Citizens League-Honolulu Chapter (JACL) usually presents its annual Day of Remembrance that recalls the signing of E.O. 9066. This year, the organization has partnered with the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i (JCCH) to present this new program in its place.Additional supporting organizations include the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i and American Friends Service Committee Hawai‘i.

The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i (JCCH), a non-profit organization, strives to share the history, heritage and culture of the evolving Japanese American experience in Hawai‘i. Located in Mo‘ili‘ili, the JCCH features a Community and Historical Gallery, Resource Center, Kenshikan martial arts dojo, Seikoan Japanese teahouse and Gift Shop. For more information call (808) 945-7633, email info@jcch.com or visit the website at www.jcch.com.

Day of Remembrance 2008: Carrying the Light for Justice

2008-02-03T17:56:00.000-08:00

The Bay Area Day of Remembrance Consortium presents

DAY OF REMEMBRANCE 2008
Carrying the Light for Justice

GENERATIONS OF ACTIVISM
Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988

Sunday, February 17, 2008 2 p.m.
Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Northern California
1840 Sutter Street (nr. Webster) SF Japantown

Tickets: $15 Door, $12 Advance. Call for group rates. Phone: (415) 921-5007

On February 19, 1942, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, setting into motion the exclusion, removal, detention and incarceration of over 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry during World War II.

After decades of activism by Japanese Americans and a broad, multicultural coalition, President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Based on a federal commission's findings that the wholesale violation of constitutional rights was due to "race prejudice, war hysteria and a failure of political leadership," the landmark redress bill provided a official apology, individual payments and a public education fund.

In spite of these historic lessons, today we witness members of the Arab/Muslim American community experiencing similar civil and human rights violations: exclusion, detention, incarceration and extradition in the post 9/11 and Iraq War era.

DOR is a time to cherish and critique our history; to share yet untold stories; to reaffirm our commitment to unfinished redress issues and current civil liberties challenges. DOR is a time to nurture future generations of activism to ensure a more compassionate democracy.

Major funding provided by the SF Japantown Foundation.

Related programs on 2/17:
* Nihonmachi Little Friends Open House for Issei Legacy Building: 1830 Sutter St. 12 noon - 2 pm
* Exhibit: I Witness, Part I: Asian American Movement of the 70s - JCCCNC Gallery

Bay Area DOR Consortium member organizations: Asian Improv aRts, Asian Law Caucus, API Legal Outreach, Campaign for Justice - Redress Now for Japanese Latin Americans, Center for Asian American Media, JACL-SF, Japantown Arts, Japanese American Religious Federation, JCCCNC, Japanese Community Youth Council, Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project, NJAHS, National Coalition for Redress/Reparations,Tule Lake Committee, UC Berkeley Nikkei Student Union (partial list)

Japantown Foundation Awards $3,000 to Bay Area Day of Remembrance Consortium

2007-12-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

The Bay Area Day of Remembrance Consortium received a $3,000 grant from the San Francisco Japantown Foundation for general support of the 2008 Bay Area Day of Remembrance Commemoration, to be held February 16-19, 2008, at JCCCNC. The grant will be used to increase the Consortium’s organizing capacity.

The Consortium's grant was announced Dec. 10 by the Foundation. The Foundation’s 2007 competitive grants totaled $25,000 and were divided among 10 organizations in varying amounts of $5,000 or less. The foundation also approved $15,000 in special grants, made possible by an additional donation from Jack Hirose, to three Japantown organizations.

This was the foundation’s initial disbursement of awards since being founded in December 2006. The grants were provided to nonprofit groups with cultural, community and educational activities that the Foundation determined best promote and support San Francisco’s Japantown.

The foundation was formed through generous initial endowments by Kintetsu Enterprises of America, Jack Hirose, Hats and Amey Aizawa, and Minami Tamaki LLP, which is also doing the foundation’s pro bono legal work.

The organization is dedicated to preserving and honoring Japantown’s history, to welcoming and serving its residents, visitors, businesses, congregations and community organizations, and to supporting the growth and development of the community. In particular, the foundation supports activities that reflect the Japanese American experience, and activities that engage Japanese of all generations and all experiences in America.

The foundation’s board is comprised of: Donald K. Tamaki, board president and partner with Minami Tamaki LLP; Hats Aizawa; Richard Hashimoto, Japantown Merchants Association; Jack Hirose; Keith Kamisugi; Eiji Miwa; Sandy Mori, Japantown Task Force, Inc.; Allen Okamoto, Sakura Matsuri, Inc.; and Hiroshi Tomita, Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Northern California. Deputy Consul General Kazuyoshi Yamaguchi of the Consulate General of Japan serves as an advisory member.

The foundation continues to build on an initial total endowment of approximately $650,000.

The foundation welcomes additional grants and donations. Donations to the Foundation can be made online or made payable to “San Francisco Japantown Foundation” and addressed to San Francisco Japantown Foundation, c/o Minami Tamaki LLP, 360 Post Street, 8th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94108.

National Museum to Mark 20th Anniversary of Redress in 2008

2007-12-16T21:54:00.000-08:00

The Japanese American National Museum will mark the historic occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 with a series of major events and public programs throughout 2008, including honoring community organizations and individuals who led the fight for Japanese American redress at its annual dinner and several sessions devoted to the subject at its national conference in Denver in July of 2008.

The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 provided for an official government apology and reparations for thousands of Japanese Americans who were unconstitutionally removed by the U.S. government from their homes on the West Coast and parts of Hawai`i during World War II. Approximately 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry were falsely incarcerated in various detention centers and domestic concentration camps during the war without due process. Two-thirds of those imprisoned were American-born citizens. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill on August 10, 1988.

"The mass incarceration of Japanese Americans by their own government during World War II was the largest constitutional violation of the 20th Century," observed Irene Hirano, President and CEO of the National Museum. "Remarkably, over 40 years after the end of the war, the United States Government admitted its error, apologized and distributed reparations to thousands of Japanese Americans. The campaign for redress is an important chapter in Japanese American history, but it is also an essential story of American democracy. The Japanese American National Museum will mark the 20th Anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 in 2008 because it is vital that all Americans understand both the Japanese American World War II experience and the subsequent fight for redress. Both stories are relevant to our country today and the National Museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing these important chapters in our history."

The National Museum plans to recognize three community organizations and several key individuals who helped to gain passage of the redress legislation at its 2008 annual gala dinner. Under the theme, "Fulfilling the Promise of America: Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988", the annual dinner, which will take place on April 19, 2008, will note the contributions of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), the National Coalition for Redress and Reparations (NCRR) and the National Council for Japanese American Redress (NCJAR). The National Museum will also recognize the work of the Japanese American Congressional officials, who helped guide the bill through the Senate and the House of Representatives. In 1988, Daniel K. Inouye and Spark Matsunaga were U.S. Senators representing Hawai`i, while Norman Y. Mineta and Robert Matsui were Congressmen from California and Patricia Saiki was a Congresswoman from Hawai`i. The annual dinner will also highlight the work of the coram nobis lawyers, who revived the World War II civil rights cases of Minoru Yasui, Gordon Hirabayashi and Fred Korematsu in the 1980s, helping to set the stage for the redress legislation.

"The redress movement was a community effort, and no single individual, organization, or event can take all the credit for the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988," observed Prof. Mitch Maki, co-author of the book, Achieving the Impossible Dream: How Japanese Americans Obtained Redress. "But the contributions of the Japanese American redress organizations, the coram nobis and NCJAR cases, and the personal dedication of the Nikkei legislators were essential."

The National Museum will hold its national conference, "Whose America? Who’s American? Diversity, Civil Liberties and Social Justice" on July 3-6, 2008, in Denver. The conference will be the culmination of Enduring Communities: The Japanese American Experience in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Utah, a three-year initiative, partially funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and organized by the National Museum in collaboration with educators, students and communities located in the five states. Each of the states is important to the history of Americans of Japanese ancestry, since a high percentage of those living on the West Coast during World War II were forced to live in government-run camps within these states or had to leave their homes and businesses in the face of the forced removal to settle in one of the five states. The conference will feature several sessions devoted to the history of the redress movement as well as panels of individuals involved in the successful campaign. The conference will also deal with broader issues related to redress and will look at various stories from the five states.

"The power of the redress story surely lies in its telling and retelling of the great themes of the history of Japanese Americans and of the United States itself," wrote the late Congressman Matsui in 1999. "Through this study and other historical endeavors a permanent record will be established that will chronicle not only what went wrong but also what went right so that future generations of Americans will know of the national victory and the personal triumph in the passage of the redress legislation."

The National Museum intends to collaborate with other groups and individuals on related programs throughout 2008. For more information, call the Japanese American National Museum at (213) 625-0414.

Black Attorney Defended JAs During WWII

2007-06-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

"The Great Unknown & the Unknown Great: African American Attorney was Defender of Japanese Americans During WWII" was published in the Nichi Bei Times Weekly's June 7-13, 2007, issue. In this Nichi Bei Times exclusive series, Dr. Greg Robinson, author of “By the Order of the President: FDR and the Internment of Japanese Americans,” examines little-known but prominent figures in Japanese American history.

By GREG ROBINSON
Nichi Bei Times Contributor

Hugh MacBeth, Sr. an African American attorney from Los Angeles, is largely forgotten today, but he deserves commemoration as an outstanding defender of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1884, Hugh Ellwood MacBeth attended Fisk University and Harvard Law School, graduating in 1908. After living several years in Baltimore, where he was founder and editor of the Baltimore Times newspaper, he headed to California in 1913.
In the decades that followed, MacBeth became an important player on the Los Angeles legal and political scene. He concentrated on aiding African American litigants and criminal defendants, and represented such notable clients as jazz great Jelly Roll Morton.

MacBeth pressed numerous cases challenging segregation laws and restrictive housing covenants. In 1940, he persuaded the American Legion to cease excluding Black boxers from fight cards at Hollywood Legion Stadium.

Yet MacBeth represented numerous white clients, and he remained active in the larger society. In 1934 MacBeth was named general counsel for the Utopian Society, a largely white economic reform group that claimed 600,000 members. Although MacBeth’s reaching beyond the Black community drew criticism, his broad connections led to his being named resident consul for the Republic of Liberia in 1936.

Two years later, when Governor Frank Merriam created the California Race Relations Commission, MacBeth, who had drafted the law establishing the commission, was named executive secretary and the sole African American commissioner.

Connections With Japanese Americans

MacBeth maintained close contacts with Japanese Americans. He settled in Los Angeles’ Jefferson Park, which was then largely Japanese.

MacBeth’s son Hugh Jr., who later became his law partner, recalled that as a child he attended Japanese school with his Nisei pals after school, since otherwise he had nobody in the neighborhood to play with. There, Hugh Jr. studied Japanese language and judo (and also absorbed community prejudices against Chinese and Filipinos). Meanwhile, the MacBeth family informally took in a Nisei neighbor, Kenji Horita.

In early January 1942, shortly after Pearl Harbor, MacBeth traveled to Guadalupe and Santa Barbara, Calif. to investigate the cases of Issei rounded up by the government during December and interned in Missoula, Montana. Following interviews with the internees’ families, he discovered that those taken were prosperous farmers, and that there was no previous evidence of sabotage.

He swiftly concluded that removal was being engineered by white agricultural interests anxious to grab the Issei farmers’ land. Outraged, MacBeth turned to organizing support for Japanese Americans among liberal and church groups. Thanks to his leadership, the California Race Relations Commission and the Santa Barbara Minister’s Alliance became the only two Southern California organizations to officially oppose evacuation.

MacBeth simultaneously organized efforts nationwide. He corresponded with Socialist leader Norman Thomas, who used the information MacBeth provided in newspaper articles and radio speeches denouncing Executive Order 9066.

MacBeth later co-signed Thomas’s pamphlet, “Democracy and the Japanese Americans.” The pamphlet -- widely distributed by the Japanese American Citizens League -- denounced the government’s policy as “totalitarian justice” and called for an end to evacuation and for reparations.

The announcement of Executive Order 9066 on Feb. 19, 1942 was a blow to MacBeth. On Feb. 22 he sent President Roosevelt a telegram, asking him to permit “liberty-loving Japanese” to pursue their agricultural activities “under military surveillance and with government assistance.”

In March 1942, he wrote General John DeWitt in support of proposals that loyal farmers be permitted to form cooperatives and establish colonies in Utah. (The plan was designed by Hi Korematsu, whose brother Fred would soon challenge evacuation).

MacBeth proceeded to lecture the general that removal reflected “general and deep seated American racial prejudice against Orientals and particularly against Japanese.” Meanwhile, he spoke privately of his grief at families being “torn up by the roots” and sent off from their homes “they know not where.”

In May 1942, MacBeth visited the Santa Anita Assembly Center with his wife and brother, to see friends and collect information on conditions. Shortly afterwards, he traveled to Washington to brief Justice Department officials on Japanese Americans. (Using a White House cook as a back channel, MacBeth struggled vainly to secure a meeting with President Roosevelt, in order to lobby for an executive order making racial discrimination a military offense!).

Read the rest of this article on the Nichi Bei Times website

Senators Boxer and Feinstein Work to Preserve Tule Lake Segregation Center

2007-06-08T01:17:00.000-07:00

Senator Barbara Boxer announced on June 7 that she and Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced the Tule Lake Segregation Center Special Resource Study Act, S.1467, asking the Department of the Interior to study the feasibility of designating the Tule Lake Segregation Center – a World War II-era Japanese American internment camp located in Northern California – as a National Historic Site.

During World War II, the federal government ordered the evacuation and internment of over 120,000 Japanese-Americans in ten different internment camps across the country. At its peak, about 19,000 were held at Tule Lake, the largest and one of the most infamous of the camps. It was the site of frequent demonstrations and strikes by internees demanding their rights under the U.S. Constitution. It also became a "segregation camp," used for those who had refused to take a loyalty oath or who had caused disturbances. Tule Lake was one of the last camps to be closed, staying open until March 20, 1946.

Tule Lake is also one of the best preserved of the internment camps. It has several significant historic features remaining, including the camp stockade that imprisoned internees.

"By preserving it in our National Park System, we will be able to better protect these priceless features as a reminder of what happens when we disregard our values and forget what it means to be American," wrote the Senator. "I am so proud to be joining Senator Feinstein in this effort to make sure that the lessons of history are never forgotten."

A companion bill has being introduced in the House by Representatives John Doolittle (R-CA) and Doris Matsui (D-CA) and has been endorsed by the Modoc County Board of Supervisors.

CAPAC Members, Speaker Pelosi Mark Day of Remembrance for WWII Japanese American Internment

2007-02-14T00:40:00.000-08:00

On Feb. 12, the House of Representatives was expected to pass H. Res. 122, which recognizes a National Day of Remembrance for the Japanese American Internment. February 19, 2007 marks 65 years since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which forced 120,000 Japanese American citizens and legal residents into internment camps during World War II solely based upon their Japanese descent. The resolution also recognizes that many German and Italian Americans experienced deprivations during this period as well.

Congressman Mike Honda (CA-15), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and other members of CAPAC introduced the resolution, and urge the support of their colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

Also being considered on the House Floor today is H. Res. 109, a resolution introduced by Congressman Jim Costa (CA-20), recognizing the historical significance of the Pinedale Assembly Center in Fresno, CA, the reporting site for 4,823 Japanese Americans who were unjustly interned during World War II.

The following CAPAC members said:

Rep. Honda (CA-15): "I spent part of my childhood in Amache, an internment camp in southeast Colorado. For those who have experienced the internment camps firsthand, as I did, this Day of Remembrance serves as a day to educate the public about the lessons learned from the internment and provides an opportunity for all people to reflect on the importance of justice and civil liberties during times of uncertainty," said Congressman Honda. "True to the democratic process, our nation has been able to look back and admit errors from its past. I can think of no greater evidence to show why the United States, despite the challenges we face, still is looked to worldwide as the nation with the strongest and fairest form of government. We must always be vigilant in the protection of our civil liberties, and in this time of tension as we wage a war against terrorism, we must once again reaffirm our commitment to the principles in our Constitution."

Sen. Inouye (HI): "Our nation's mass incarceration of Americans of Japanese ancestry was shameful," said U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye (HI). "But their response to the harsh treatment they received should be a source of pride for all Americans, as should our country's subsequent apology. With the Day of Remembrance, we learn from the past, and reaffirm our commitment to our nation's democratic ideals."

Sen. Akaka (HI): "America is a great nation, and as such, it is vital that we continue to learn from the darkest chapters of our history," said U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (HI). "I am proud to join my colleagues in commemorating this year's National Day of Remembrance to increase awareness of the severe injustices caused by the signing of Executive Order 9066. The internment of Japanese-Americans, German-Americans, and Italian-Americans during World War II will hold its place in history, but we must move forward together to ensure such tragedies do not continue nor prevail."

Rep. Bordallo (GU): "Sixty-five years ago, Americans of Japanese descent had their freedoms stripped and were forced to live as prisoners in the nation which they pledged their loyalty," said Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo (GU), Secretary of CAPAC. "Italian- and German Americans were also treated as enemies and were made to endure rigorous and unfair security practices. Memorializing their suffering in a National Day of Remembrance is a very important step to ensuring this reprehensible infringement of American citizenship never happens again. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 122."

Rep. Matsui (CA-05): "As we mark the Day of Remembrance, we recall Executive Order 9066 and our responsibility to ensure that it never happens again. Sadly, this was an avoidable consequence of racial prejudice and wartime hysteria. It is imperative that we learn the lesson this moment in history has taught us," stated Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-05). "That is why I applaud the creation of a grant program to preserve the internment camps where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II. These camps are the physical - tangible - representation of our government's failure to protect the Constitutional right of every American, as well as a symbol of our nation's ability to acknowledge our mistakes."

Rep. Hirono (HI-02): "By observing this Day of Remembrance, we say to the Nation and our fellow citizens that America can never forget this horrible tragedy," said Congresswoman Mazie Hirono (HI-02). "While it directly affected one segment of our population, the ramifications to all Americans are profound and no less relevant today as we wage war in Iraq. The constitutional rights of all Americans are in jeopardy if any group of citizens can be persecuted without legal justification. We must all stand vigilant and alert for any attempt by any group, whether a small power clique or the majority of Americans, to overstep the bounds of the law for momentary expediency or even for claims of national security during war."

Statement by Speaker Nancy Pelosi H.Res 122 - National Day of Remembrance 65th Anniversary of the Signing of Executive Order 9066 Monday, February 12, 2007

To live up to the principles on which this great nation was founded, we must stand for freedom for all Americans, in wartime and in times of peace.

On February 19, 1942, Executive Order 9066 was signed, ushering in one of the darkest periods in our nation's history. During World War II, more than 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent were removed from their homes and placed in internment camps. Under baseless fears of Japanese Americans disloyalty, families were ripped apart and entire communities uprooted.
History has shown that this action, as well as restrictions on Americans of German and Italian ancestry, was not only wrong, but also indefensible. The National Day of Remembrance is an opportunity to learn from the lessons of our past as we work for a better future. I join Representatives Honda, Becerra, Wu, Scott, Abercrombie, Matsui, Bordallo, Hirono, and many of our colleagues for a National Day of Remembrance on February 19.

In these difficult times of war, as we face the threat of terrorism, the lessons of that dark chapter are especially relevant today. As we protect and defend the American people, we must protect and defend the Constitution and the civil liberties that define our democracy.

I join my colleagues, especially the Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, who fight for justice and equality every day, to ensure that history is never repeated again.

Clifford I. Uyeda Peace & Humanitarian Award to be presented to Samina F. Sundas

2007-02-13T16:54:00.000-08:00

As a part of this year's Day of Remembrance program, taking place on Saturday, February 17th, Samina F. Sundas, executive director of American Muslim Voice, will be receiving the Clifford I. Uyeda Peace and Humanitarian Award. The Bay Area Day of Remembrance Consortium will present the award to her at its annual commemoration of the World War II internment of Japanese Americans - its lessons and legacy, especially in the current post-9/11 era -- as America finds itself in the midst of another war.

In addition to a program of cultural presentations, films and candle lighting ceremony, the 2007 Clifford I, Uyeda Peace and Humanitarian Award will be presented to Samina F. Sundas by the Consortium in recognition of her courageous leadership and personal dedication to the principles of peace and social justice, particularly in the post 9/11 period.

Ms. Sundas' advocacy on behalf of Muslim, Arab and South Asian Americans and others targeted as "the enemy" following 9/11, and her heart-felt efforts to promote friendship and mutual respect among diverse communities are deeply appreciated by the Consortium. The proud mother of two young adults, Misbah and Saqib, Ms. Sundas, is the founding executive director of the American Muslim Voice, and co-founder of Fear To Friendship, a group dedicated to promoting cross-cultural friendship and education following 9/11. She is also the founder of the "Global Peace Partners," a partnership between American Muslim Voice, Global Peace Partners and Peace Alliance.

American Muslim Voice was established in July 2003 as a grassroots, nonviolent, inclusive, civil, immigrant and human rights organization building alliances and genuine partnerships with like-minded groups and individuals to protect and preserve civil liberties and constitutional rights for ALL. Its goal is to bridge the gap between all communities and unite us all under the umbrella of our common humanity.

History of the Clifford Uyeda Award

The award was established three years ago by the Bay Area Day of Remembrance Consortium, to remember the legacy of the late Clifford I. Uyeda, a longtime civil rights and human rights leader whose life championed the civil and human rights of Japanese Americans, Chinese Americans, and others.

As the president of the National Japanese American Citizens League during the 1980s, Uyeda provided critical leadership in campaign to educate the nation about the World War II internment of over 120,000 persons of Japanese Americans; and worked for an official apology and the passage of redress and reparations bills in Congress.

As a founder of the National Japanese American Historical Society, Uyeda spearheaded a number of educational and advocacy projects regarding the history of Japanese Americans and their contributions to American democracy. Looking beyond the boundaries of ethnicity and race, Uyeda courageously spoke out and acted upon a variety of social justice and human rights issues, including Japan's war crimes in China, Korea and other nations during World War II.

He was a co-founder and co-chair of the Rape of Nanking Redress Coalition and continued to do education and advocacy on this and other issues throughout his life. The first recipient of the Award was Congressman Mike Honda in 2005; the second, Art Shibayama, Japanese Latin American redress activist, in 2006.

Day of Remembrance 2007 Flyer

2007-02-13T15:28:00.000-08:00

The Bay Area Day of Remembrance Consortium released its flyer for the 2007 Day of Remembrance. Click here to download a PDF.

Sixty-five years ago, on February 19, 1942, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, setting into motion the exclusion, removal, detainment and incarceration of over 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry during World War II.

After World War II, Japanese Americans perservered in rebuilding Japantowns, struggled for redress, and helped to shape the nation's concept of democracy and constitutional rights. DOR is a time to cherish that history, hear untold stories, and reaffirm our commitment to unfinished redress issues and current civil liberties challenges in the post-9/11 period.

See event details in the sidebar to the right.

Other 2007 Remembrance Events

2007-02-06T11:55:00.000-08:00

Andy Noguchi, Civil Rights Committee co-chair of the JACL Northern California Western Nevada Pacific district, shared information about other remembrance events taking place:

"Our NCWNP District has a strong history of commemorating the lessons of Executive Order 9066 through Time of Remembrance Programs," wrote Andy. "Many Chapters from Honlulu to Stockton to San Jose are participating in meaningful events throughout our territory. Please support them."

January 16 – March 16, 2007: Japanese American Internment Exhibit, Award-winning exhibit visited by over 6,000 N. California students. Co-sponsored by Lodi, Marysville, Placer County, Sacramento, & Florin JACL. California State Museum 10th & O. Streets, Sacramento.

February 18, 2007: South Bay Time of Remembrance: In Good Conscience. Author Shizue Seigel. 5:30 pm San Jose Buddhist Church 640 N. 5th Street.

February 19, 2007 – Hawai’i/Honolulu JACL’s DOR, University of Hawai’i School of Architecture Auditorium, 2410 Campus Road, Room 205, 3:30 p.m. Featured will be youth member Taylour Chang’s documentary, “Unrecht: An Untold Chapter of Hawaii’s Past.” Representatives from the Muslim American community in Hawai’i will also speak.

February 24, 2007 – Stockton JACL DOR, Stockton Buddhist Church, 2820 Shimizu
Drive, Stockton: Keynote speaker Shizue Siegal speaking on those who assisted JAs during WW II. Lunch provided. Free admission.

March 18, 2007 – Cats of Mirikitani Premier – An award-winning film about 81 year old artist Jimmy Mirikitani’s journey from Tule Lake, to Hiroshima, to homelessness, to 9/11. (N. Calif.Time of Remembrance – Placer, Sacramento, Marysville, Lodi, and Florin JACL Chapters), 2 pm Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street, Sacramento, $15 Gen Admission, $10 Students under 18. 12 noon buffet reception with Mirkitani & producer Linda Hattendorf. (150 people limit) $50. www.thecatsofmirikitani.com

Nichi Bei: Students Answer ‘If They Came For Me Today’ at Library Exhibit

2007-01-25T16:27:00.000-08:00

High School projects yield varying results. The best that can be said about the bad ones is that they consume time that students might spend doing something destructive. The good ones inspire students, enrich their understanding of the world, and give them the tools and drive to change it.

Some of those good ones even warrant display outside the school grounds.

“If They Came For Me Today: The Japanese American Internment Project,” a new exhibit at the San Francisco Main Public Library, was developed by Community Works with students at George Washington, Balboa, and Horace Mann schools in San Francisco as a way for the students to understand and explore the Japanese American mass-incarceration and honor those who were imprisoned in the wartime concentration camps.

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Hokubei: President Signs Internment Camp Bill

2007-01-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

President Bush on Dec. 21 signed into law legislation providing for the preservation of historically significant confinement sites where Japanese Americans were imprisoned during World War II, the Japanese American National Heritage Coalition announced.

The National Park Service will administer the $38 million grant program. Non-federal organizations selected by the Interior Department will receive grants for historical research and restoration.

The sites include the 10 camps operated by the War Relocation authority: Manzanar and Tule Lake in California, Poston and Gila River in Arizona, Rohwer and Jerome in Arkansas, Topaz in Utah, Minidoka in Idaho, Amache in Colorado, Heart Mountain in Wyoming.

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