“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.”
Rep. Nancy Pelosi,
Speaker of the House

February 19th marks the 65th anniversary of when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 in response to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. That order displaced 120,000 Japanese American citizens and legal residents into internment camps throughout the United States. More than half of the displaced were school-aged children, who were incarcerated for up to four years without due process of law. The women who were displaced were mothers, grandmothers, daughters, and sisters: and all of these people were put into internment camps simply because they were of Japanese descent.

Congressman Mike Honda (CA-15), the Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and other members of CAPAC recently introduced the House Resolution 122, which recognizes a National Day of Remembrance for the Japanese American Internment.

“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.

Congresswoman Mazie Hirono (HI-02) said, “By observing this Day of Remembrance, we say to the Nation and our fellow citizens that America can never forget this horrible tragedy. 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…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.”

Honda continued, “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.”

Learn more about the Day of Remembrance here: www.dayofremembrance.org

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