“Every February, the Japanese American community commemorates Executive Order 9066 as a reminder of the impact the incarceration experience has had on our families, our community, and our country. It is an opportunity to educate others on the fragility of civil liberties in times of crisis, and the importance of remaining vigilant in protecting the rights and freedoms of all.” — JACL
What is the Day of Remembrance?
On February 19th, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order that authorized the incarceration of Japanese American civilians in concentration camps established in Washington, Oregon, and California during WWII. The U.S. government forcibly removed and imprisoned around 120,000 people living on the West Coast from their homes, even though no Japanese Americans were ever charged of espionage or sabotage against the United States. The Day of Remembrance, recurring annually, serves as a reminder of the impact of the incarceration experience on Japanese American families and community and the government sanctioned civil injustice. [source]
Community Events
- Bay Area: 41st Annual San Jose Day of Remembrance — Confronting Race in America: Unifying Our Communities
- Bay Area DOR: Abolition! Reparations! Carrying the Light for Justice
- University of San Francisco (online) — Day of Remembrance Keynote Speech — The Irei Names Monument: A Memorial to Persons of Japanese Ancestry Incarcerated in the U.S. during WWII
- …and many more around the country.
To begin learning more about the Japanese American Internment:
- Duke University Libraries: Japanese Americans → Contains archival sources for Japanese Americans including newspapers, photographs and oral histories.
- Densho → A nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve and share the history of the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans to promote equity and justice today. Contains firsthand accounts in the form of oral histories, historical images and teacher resources.
- “The Unlikely Story Behind Japanese Americans’ Campaign For Reparations” by NPR’s Code Switch.
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