CUPERTINO — The California History Center presents the 12th annual De Anza College commemoration of Day of Remembrance on Wednesday, Feb. 19, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Hinson Campus Center, Conference Rooms A and B.
The theme: “Race Prejudice, War Hysteria, and the Failure of Political Leadership: The World War II Internment of Japanese Americans and Its Relevance to the Defense of Civil Liberties Today.”
Join with Japanese American communities throughout the country who annually commemorate the date, Feb. 19, 1942, on which an executive order was signed that led to the imprisonment of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans without due process and with no regard for their constitutional rights. The community now uses this date to encourage active participation in defending the basic civil liberties of all Americans.
Featured speakers:
• Poet and editor Brian Komei Dempster, a University of San Francisco professor who has helped former internees write about their experiences in the camps. His publications include “From Our Side of the Fence: Growing Up in America’s Concentration Camps” and a recently released collection of his own poetry about the internment experience entitled “Topaz.” He will be accompanied by two former internees/authors.
• Elaine Elinson and Stan Yogi, co-authors of “Wherever There’s a Fight: How Runaway Slaves, Suffragists, Immigrants, Strikers, and Poets Shaped Civil Liberties in California.” Both are former staff members of the ACLU of Northern California, as well as accomplished writers and editors.
• Samina Faheem, San Jose area representative of American Muslim Voice, an organization that promotes deeper understanding of the Muslim American experience through open dialogue and discussion.
For more information, contact Tom Izu at (408) 864-8986 or izutom@deanza.edu.
The event is wheelchair accessible. Sign language interpreter or other accommodations available upon request five business days prior to event.