WASHINGTON — On Feb. 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which led to the forced removal and incarceration of over 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry during World War II.
This day is recognized annually in the Japanese American community as the Day of Remembrance, and was recognized in 2023 by President Biden, who called the order “one of the most shameful periods in our nation’s history.”
In observance of this day, members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) released the following statements:
CAPAC Chair Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena): “Eighty-two years ago, in an unfounded and blatant violation of Americans’ civil rights, President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 incarcerated more than 120,000 Japanese Americans – most of whom were citizens and half of whom were children. For no reason other than xenophobia, so many families lost their homes, businesses, savings, and livelihoods.
“That is why over three decades ago, CAPAC co-founder Norman Mineta introduced and successfully led the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, under which Congress formally apologized and provided redress to Japanese Americans wrongly incarcerated during World War II.
“Disturbingly, however, the same hysteria that led to the racial targeting and stripping of property ownership rights from Japanese Americans has re-emerged today in federal and state-level measures that aim to limit the civil rights of our communities. This uptick in shameful, anti-Asian fear-mongering and discrimination is why now, more than ever, we must speak up in the face of injustice and ensure that we do not repeat the mistakes of our past.
“As we observe this Day of Remembrance, we must stand together and recommit to safeguard the civil rights of all Americans.”
CAPAC First Vice Chair Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.): “On this Day of Remembrance for Japanese American Incarceration, we remember the more than 120,000 Japanese Americans who were sent to internment camps during World War II. Under Executive Order 9066, the federal government targeted people on the basis of their Japanese heritage, violating their constitutional rights and destroying their lives.
“This was a xenophobic policy borne out of fear, with disastrous consequences. Now more than ever, I urge us all to fight the basest instincts of fear and bigotry, and remember that what makes our country great is our values of liberty and equality for all.”
CAPAC Second Vice-Chair Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside): “A day of remembrance is a day to atone for our country’s wrongs. Japanese [American] internment is an episode in American history that highlighted a failure in leadership to uphold the Constitution. My family lost land, upward mobility, and their dignity to race-based fear — we cannot allow that to happen again.
“Join me in remembering this injustice while recommitting ourselves to uphold our country’s founding principle of justice for all.”
CAPAC Whip Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Manhattan Beach): “Today marks 82 years since President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which led to the unjust incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. On this Day of Remembrance for Japanese American Incarceration, we reflect on this dark period in our history — and on the xenophobia and racism that fueled it. These injustices caused irreparable trauma to the Japanese American community.
“Let us recommit to combatting discrimination and bigotry while upholding our obligation to safeguard the civil rights of all Americans.”
CAPAC Freshman Representative Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii): “Although it has been 82 years since President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, families continue to bear scars from the xenophobia and hate that stripped 120,000 people of Japanese descent of everything from the most basic human rights to homes and life savings. As one of millions of descendants of internees, on this Day of Remembrance, I ask that we act with urgency to learn from the mistakes of our past and recommit ourselves to being a nation free of intolerance and prejudice.”
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii): “Executive Order 9066 — an unconstitutional and discriminatory policy born out of prejudice led to the unjust internment of Japanese Americans in incarceration camps. Now, diversity is under attack with over a dozen states enacting laws targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion — from limiting curriculum of diverse histories to restricting LGBTQ+ youth from accessing health care or playing sports aligned with their gender.
“It’s this kind of ignorance and hostility that led to Executive Order 9066, a dark stain on our country’s history that tore apart families and forced thousands to abandon their communities. Today, we honor those who survived this horrific treatment and reaffirm our commitment to fighting against hate in all its forms, and to protecting civil rights and liberties for all.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.): “Eighty-two years ago today, President Roosevelt signed an executive order that began the racist and unjustified internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. This was one of the most shameful chapters in America’s history, as 120,000 innocent individuals were incarcerated solely because of their ethnicity.
“Today, as we remember this dark time, we must acknowledge that anti-Asian hate still persists and commit ourselves to rooting out all forms of discrimination and xenophobia in this country. Let us all work together to pursue safety, justice, and equality for every American.”
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Santa Clara): “Eighty-two years have passed since the era of forced incarceration of Japanese Americans began. On this Day of Remembrance, we reckon with this dark chapter in America’s history. We must continue to fight against injustice and xenophobia in all forms. I am proud to stand with my CAPAC colleagues in fighting to uphold rights for every American.”
Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.): “This Day of Remembrance is our opportunity to reflect on the consequences of a hateful and discriminatory past that left its mark on American history. The era of internment led by our own government against Japanese Americans is a painful and dark stain in our history that we must learn from and vow never to repeat again. It serves as a crucial reminder of the long-history of discrimination and hate that Asian American communities have withstood and continue to battle.
“As neighbors and as a nation, we must stand together and work towards a more equitable future for our children and future generations.”
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland): “Eighty-two years ago, Executive Order 9066 mandated the wrongful imprisonment of over 120,000 Japanese Americans in concentration camps across the Western United States. These Americans were treated as enemies of the state solely because of their ethnicity.
“Today, I join the East Bay community in remembering those Japanese Americans who suffered because of horrific government policies based on prejudice and xenophobia. On this day, I urge Americans across the country to stand against racial prejudice, especially towards the AANHPI community, and to denounce bigotry in every form.”
Rep. Kevin Mullin (D-San Mateo): “Today we mark 82 years since the signing Executive Order 9066 and one of the most shameful chapters in our nation’s history. In San Mateo County, nearly 8,000 Japanese Americans were detained at the Tanforan Assembly Center. On this Day of Remembrance, we recommit to standing against racism and bigotry, protecting civil liberties, and creating a more equitable future for all in America.”
Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Whittier): “Eighty-two years ago, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which shamefully forced the imprisonment of thousands of Japanese Americans. While today we reflect on this dark period, I urge our country to always stand against racism and bigotry, so that we may never have to experience this again.”
CAPAC is composed of AAPI members of Congress as well as members who represent large AAPI constituencies. Info: https://capac-chu.house.gov/