A day of remembrance February 19, 1942 President Franklin D.Roosevelt signed Executive order 9066. This led to the forced removal and incarceration of some 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry living in the west coast who had to abandon their jobs, their homes,and their lives to be sent to one of ten concentration camps scattered in remote, desolate locations scattered around the country.
No Japanese Americans were ever charged, much less convicted, of espionage or sabotage against the United States. Yet they were targeted, rounded up, and imprisoned for years, simply for having the “face of the enemy.”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.
No comments:
Post a Comment