[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 3719-3724]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE 65TH ANNIVERSARY OF EXECUTIVE ORDER 
   9066 AND SUPPORTING AND RECOGNIZING A NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 122) recognizing the significance of the 65th 
anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President 
Franklin D. Roosevelt and supporting the goals of the Japanese 
American, German American, and Italian American communities in 
recognizing a National Day of Remembrance to increase public awareness 
of the events surrounding the restriction, exclusion, and internment of 
individuals and families during World War II.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 122

       Whereas President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed 
     Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, which authorized 
     the exclusion of 120,000 Japanese Americans and legal 
     resident aliens from the West coast of the United States and 
     the internment of United States citizens and legal permanent 
     residents of Japanese ancestry in internment camps during 
     World War II;
       Whereas the freedom of Italian Americans and German 
     Americans was also restricted during World War II by measures 
     that branded them enemy aliens and included required

[[Page 3720]]

     identification cards, travel restrictions, seizure of 
     personal property, and internment;
       Whereas President Gerald Ford formally rescinded Executive 
     Order 9066 on February 19, 1976, in his speech, ``An American 
     Promise'';
       Whereas Congress adopted legislation which was signed by 
     President Jimmy Carter on July 31, 1980, establishing the 
     Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians 
     to investigate the claim that the incarceration of Japanese 
     Americans and legal resident aliens during World War II was 
     justified by military necessity;
       Whereas the Commission held 20 days of hearings and heard 
     from over 750 witnesses on this matter and published its 
     findings in a report entitled ``Personal Justice Denied'';
       Whereas the conclusion of the commission was that the 
     promulgation of Executive Order 9066 was not justified by 
     military necessity, and that the decision to issue the order 
     was shaped by ``race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure 
     of political leadership'';
       Whereas Congress enacted the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, 
     in which it apologized on behalf of the Nation for 
     ``fundamental violations of the basic civil liberties and 
     constitutional rights of these individuals of Japanese 
     ancestry'';
       Whereas President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties 
     Act of 1988 into law on August 10, 1988, proclaiming that day 
     to be a ``great day for America'';
       Whereas the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 established the 
     Civil Liberties Public Education Fund, the purpose of which 
     is ``to sponsor research and public educational activities 
     and to publish and distribute the hearings, findings, and 
     recommendations of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and 
     Internment of Civilians so that the events surrounding the 
     exclusion, forced removal, and internment of civilians and 
     permanent resident aliens of Japanese ancestry will be 
     remembered, and so that the causes and circumstances of this 
     and similar events may be illuminated and understood'';
       Whereas Congress adopted the Wartime Violation of Italian 
     Americans Civil Liberties Act, which was signed by President 
     Bill Clinton on November 7, 2000, and which resulted in a 
     report containing detailed information on the types of 
     violations that occurred, as well as lists of individuals of 
     Italian ancestry that were arrested, detained, and interned;
       Whereas the Japanese American community recognizes a 
     National Day of Remembrance on February 19th of each year to 
     educate the public about the lessons learned from the 
     internment to ensure that it never happens again;
       Whereas H.R. 1492 (Public Law 109-441) was passed by 
     Congress and signed into law in 2006, to allow the government 
     to identify and acquire sites used to confine Japanese 
     Americans during World War II, in order to preserve and 
     maintain these historic locations for posterity and inspire 
     new generations of Americans to work for justice while 
     demonstrating the Nation's commitment to equal and fair 
     treatment for all; and
       Whereas the Day of Remembrance provides an opportunity for 
     all people to reflect on the importance of political 
     leadership and vigilance and on the values of justice and 
     civil rights during times of uncertainty and emergency: Now, 
     therefore, be it:
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes the historical significance of February 19, 
     1942, the date Executive Order 9066 was signed by President 
     Roosevelt, restricting the freedom of Japanese Americans, 
     German Americans, and Italian Americans, and legal resident 
     aliens through required identification cards, travel 
     restrictions, seizure of personal property, and internment; 
     and
       (2) supports the goals of the Japanese American, German 
     American, and Italian American communities in recognizing a 
     National Day of Remembrance to increase public awareness of 
     these events.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Berman) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman).


                             General Leave

  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 
122.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, 
but no more than 3 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, today I rise in favor of House Resolution 122. Sixty-
five years ago, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, 
leading to the detention of approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans. 
They were forced to live in isolated camps, to sell or lease their 
property, often at huge losses, and to give up their businesses and 
livelihoods. The freedom and civil liberties of Italian and German 
Americans were also violated during World War II by measures that 
branded them enemy aliens and went as far as restricting their movement 
and seizing their personal property. Thirty years passed before 
Executive Order 9066 was formally rescinded in 1976.
  House Resolution 122 recognizes the devastating impact of that 
executive order. The resolution also supports and commends the efforts 
of the Japanese, Italian and German American communities in recognizing 
a National Day of Remembrance for their history of restriction, 
exclusion and internment during World War II. The failure of our 
political and judicial system to prevent the injustices against them 
still reverberates today.
  The decision to intern Japanese Americans was based not on evidence, 
but rather on fear and panic. In 1980, Congress established a 
Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. That 
commission, after conducting 20 days of hearings and receiving 
testimony from over 750 witnesses, concluded that Executive Order 9066 
was not justified by military necessity, but resulted from ``race 
prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.''
  In 1988, Congress enacted, and I was proud to be here and a part of 
that fight, the Civil Liberties Act to formally acknowledge and 
apologize for violations of fundamental civil liberties and 
constitutional rights of these Japanese Americans.

                              {time}  1515

  In 2000, President Clinton signed the Wartime Violation of Italian 
Americans Civil Liberties Act, which formally acknowledged civil 
liberty violations against Italian Americans.
  The most honorable and principled way to show respect to those 
Americans who suffered injustices during World War II is to dedicate 
ourselves to fighting for the fundamental American principles of 
liberty of which their mistreatment remains to this day a glaring 
reminder.
  Once again, I want to join with my colleagues in recognizing the very 
important work of the Japanese American, the German American and the 
Italian American communities in raising awareness of the National Day 
of Remembrance, and to particularly commend Representative Honda for 
his efforts in bringing this resolution to the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H. Res. 122 which recognizes the tragic 
significance of Executive Order 9066 signed by President Franklin 
Delano Roosevelt to authorize the internment of Japanese Americans at 
the beginning of World War II. The resolution also highlights the 
injustices forced on Italian Americans and German Americans during this 
same period.
  In 1942, President Roosevelt authorized the Army to evacuate more 
than 100,000 Japanese Americans from the Pacific Coast States, 
including Washington, Oregon, and my home State, California, and also 
Arizona. This grossly blunderbuss approach to maintaining America's 
security serves, especially today, as a continuing reminder that the 
civil rights of American citizens should never be lost in the midst of 
the chaos of war, not even in a war on terror.
  President Roosevelt authorized the mass expulsion and incarceration 
of Japanese Americans, and these are American citizens, by signing 
Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942. A few minutes ago, I spoke 
about the prodding of this body, the prodding about the Presidency and 
the prodding of the courts. This ill-fated action unfortunately was 
supported by this body, the one on the other side of the Dome and, yes, 
the U.S. Supreme Court. Had any of us recognized our burden of freedom 
and democracy and taken it to heart, this could not and would not have 
happened.
  The tragic misuse of this power was met with an equally powerful 
response, but unfortunately, it was too late.

[[Page 3721]]

  In 1976, President Gerald Ford issued Proclamation 4417, in which he 
said, ``Learning from our mistakes is not pleasant, but as a great 
philosopher once admonished, we must do so if we want to avoid 
repeating them.'' We recently put to rest President Gerald Ford, but 
there was no action that Gerald Ford ever did as President more 
significant than this one. President Ford, in apologizing and taking 
back the misconduct perpetrated on American citizens so long ago, has 
set a high standard for it ever happening again.
  Today, we have just those threats among us and amidst us, so I am 
happy to support this to join with the ACLU and all the other 
organizations that daily fight this and recognizing that this should 
never happen again.
  Last but not least, we are joined with our colleague, the widow of 
Bob Matsui, and I might note that as a freshman it was Bob Matsui who 
was on the Democrat side speaking about this issue firsthand. I am 
sorry that he is not with us today. I look forward to the statements of 
my colleague and his widow, because I believe that, in fact, this is 
something we must do every year so that it never, never, never happens 
again in my America.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 7\1/2\ minutes to the sponsor of the 
resolution, the chief sponsor of the resolution, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Honda).
  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to rise today in support of H. 
Res. 122. I also want to thank the House leadership on both sides, as 
well as Chairman Conyers, for their leadership in steering this measure 
to the floor today. While the resolution addresses events from our 
past, there is much that we can learn from our history, as has been 
stated by our friend Mr. Issa.
  This is a resolution recognizing the 65th anniversary of the Day of 
Remembrance and supporting the goals of the Japanese American community 
in recognizing a National Day of Remembrance to increase public 
awareness of the events surrounding the restriction, exclusion and 
internment of all persons of Japanese ancestry during World War II.
  The resolution also recognizes that many in the German and Italian 
communities experienced deprivations during this time as well.
  This year marks the 65th anniversary of President Roosevelt's signing 
of Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, and the 19th anniversary 
of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which was signed into law by 
President Reagan.
  In 1942, some 120,000 people were rounded up in this country, 
primarily from the west coast, and incarcerated. Families were torn 
apart. Hardworking people had to sell their businesses for pennies on 
the dollar and their personal properties. Everything these people 
worked so hard for evaporated overnight.
  I spent part of my childhood in a camp in southeast Colorado, an 
internment camp called Amache. H. Res. 122 also recognizes that many in 
the German and the Italian communities experienced deprivation during 
this period as well: public humiliation, detention and, at times, 
deportation.
  In 1942, on the domestic front, our political leaders failed. 
Therefore, today we must work to educate the public about the 
internment of Americans in order to prevent similar injustices to be 
forced upon anyone in this country. Our civil liberties have not been 
in as much risk since World War II, and this time we, as political 
leaders, cannot fail.
  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, with all its flaws, still is looked to 
worldwide as the Nation with the strongest and the fairest form of 
government.
  By admitting that the government did wrong in its treatment of its 
citizens and legal residents who were aliens during World War II, 
Congress and the President reaffirmed our Nation's commitment to the 
principles founded in the Constitution.
  However, 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 again reaffirm our commitment to the principles in 
the Constitution.
  While national security is always a paramount concern for those of us 
making the laws, as well as executing and interpreting the laws, we see 
that there are those in government who continue to pursue policies once 
again that target our civil liberties.
  The whole point of the Day of Remembrance resolution is about 
learning. It is about being persistent about the lessons that we have 
learned from the American of Japanese ancestry, experience that is 
really an American lesson on the Constitution and is also a lesson of 
the American character where, upon reconciliation, there is a healing.
  There is a healing among not only those who were incarcerated, but 
there is also healing among those who were affected but maybe not 
necessarily incarcerated. So victims are both those who were directly 
victimized and those who were indirectly victimized by the misdeeds of 
our government.
  Also, the further learning, when we talk about the Day of 
Remembrance, is that other communities get to reflect upon their own 
experience at that time and project into the future when this kind of 
thing should happen again.
  As a teacher, I want to reemphasize the necessity for this type of 
resolution as it continues to teach us the old maxim that those of us 
who do not learn from the mistakes of our past are doomed to repeat 
them.
  In today's current light, I want to underscore that national security 
is my highest priority. It is our government's highest priority, and I 
support efforts to fight our war against terrorism. But we must also 
understand that in doing so, we do not again have a failure among our 
political leadership. We must not give in to war hysteria. We must not 
fall back to racial prejudice, discrimination and unlawful profiling.
  It is critical and important, more than ever, to speak up against 
possible unjust policies that may come before this body. It is critical 
that we educate all Americans of the Japanese American experience 
during World War II, as well as the experience of other Americans, like 
the Japanese Latin Americans.
  These people were extricated from Latin America, brought over here, 
had their documents taken away from them, thus becoming individuals 
without a country, to be used as pawns in exchange for POWs in the 
Pacific theater. As this resolution does, we must also remember the 
experiences of our comrades of the German and Italian Americans who 
were also victimized.
  In order to learn the important lessons from our own history, I 
introduced H. Res. 122, the Day of Remembrance resolution, here in this 
body. I cannot emphasize enough that the lessons of those dark days are 
more important than ever. Remembering Executive Order 9066, signed on 
February 19, 1942, rescinded on February 19, 1976, and the 
reconciliation brought by the redress legislation signed on August 10, 
1988, are still instructive to us today.
  There is a maturity in this country that I am very proud of. This 
maturity says that we can learn from our mistakes of the past and we 
can also teach to other of our lessons that we have learned. We have 
learned that the Executive Order 9066 was not signed out of military 
necessity. It was not signed out of national security. It was not 
signed out of personal safety and security of the Japanese Americans, 
but, as the Commission on Wartime Internment and Relocation of 
Civilians concluded, that it was a result of racial prejudice, war 
hysteria and the failure of political leadership.
  The experiences from 1942, applied to our situation in this post-9/
11, show us that the Constitution of this country is never tested in 
times of tranquility. Rather, our Constitution is always tested in 
times of trauma, tragedy, terrorism and tension, that the very 
principles of our Constitution continuously need to be taught until it 
is ingrained in our own character, so that every decision we make as a 
citizen, as adults,

[[Page 3722]]

as children, as students, and as policymakers, that we will always be 
true to the principles of our Constitution.
  The foundation of these ingrained principles is the light that draws 
people from around this world to overcome any obstacle to come to this 
country and be part of this society. The word is out around the world 
that this Nation will protect individual rights against even the most 
powerful in its government. The protection of our Constitution is what 
our forefathers and our veterans have shed their blood and sacrificed 
their limbs and lives for, in order that our Constitution may live and 
really be reflected in every action that we have, not only in this body 
but by every action of every citizen of this great country, so as to, 
or stated in the Preamble of the Constitution, in order to form a more 
perfect union.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.
  I would like to thank Congressman Honda. Mike and I came into this 
Congress together. We came in at a time of peace. We came in at a time 
in which remembering 59 years earlier the history of the Japanese 
internment was a little abstract and yet necessary. I think that it is 
no longer abstract, and I thank the gentleman from California, because 
Mr. Honda made it very clear that we have a clear and present danger in 
the same way.
  It is easy to blame the Muslim community. It is easy to look at Arab 
Americans and say can we trust them.
  I might point out something that is not in the body of the resolution 
but I know that Mr. Honda and I have talked about in the past. During 
the time in which we were incarcerating women and children and old men 
of Japanese ancestry, the young Japanese Americans were in Europe 
fighting and dying in record numbers, defending our country in the most 
decorated way of any unit of World War II. That is a separate 
remembrance but it cannot be separated from the fact that today Arabs 
and Muslims are fighting in the war on terror in Afghanistan, in Iraq 
and around the world.

                              {time}  1530

  They are in fact doing exactly the same thing. And I link the two 
because I believe that you don't respect history the way we are trying 
to today, if you don't link it to the present and the future, and you 
don't say we will learn from this terrible mistake. We can't undo what 
was done to the Japanese, Italian, and German Americans, but we can 
dedicate ourselves to ensure that this shall not happen again in this 
great Union.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BERMAN. Before yielding to our next speaker, I just want to 
associate myself with the comments of Mr. Honda and Mr. Issa. For one 
who remembers some of the key figures in this terrible tragedy, 
President Roosevelt; Justice William Douglas, who is an icon and a 
symbol of respect for civil liberties generally, you learn what war 
hysteria and a tendency to extrapolate the notion of an enemy into 
sweeping generalizations which are not justified by the evidence is 
something that we should be careful of.
  At this point, I am very pleased to yield to my dear friend, whose 
late husband I worked with very much on the 1988 legislation who was 
one of the great spark plugs in passing that legislation and now his 
widow and our colleague, Congresswoman Doris Matsui, for 3 minutes.
  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from California (Mr. 
Berman) for yielding me time; and I would like to thank my good friend 
from California (Mr. Honda) for his leadership on this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us today is a reminder that from 
great injustice can come great awakening.
  We take up this resolution to mark the 65th anniversary of Executive 
Order 9066. The resolution is a reminder that each of us has a 
responsibility to ensure that something like Executive Order 9066 never 
happens again.
  In a time of war, thousands of innocent American citizens were 
rounded up, forcibly removed from their homes, and shipped to 
internment camps. Sadly, this was an avoidable consequence of racial 
prejudice and wartime hysteria. The government at all levels was 
blinded by war. It is imperative that we learn the lesson this moment 
in history has taught us. That is why I applauded the creation of a 
grant program to preserve the internment camps and related historical 
sites where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II. We 
must preserve these camps as a physical, tangible representation of our 
government's failure to protect the constitutional right of every 
American, and also as a symbol of our Nation's ability to acknowledge 
our mistakes. Further, these designations will ensure that future 
generations will be able to visit the internment camps to gain a better 
understanding of the previous generation's experience.
  Mr. Speaker, we may have won World War II; however, we were not 
victorious because of our treatment of Japanese, Italian, and German 
Americans, but in spite of it.
  Now, 65 years later, we are once again engaged in armed conflict 
overseas, and once again the undertones of suspicion and mistrust 
toward particular groups of people lurk beneath the surface of our 
society, which is why it is more important than ever to recall our 
past, so we do not repeat our mistakes.
  I hope every American will take this day to reaffirm their commitment 
to our Constitution and the rights and protections it guarantees to all 
of us. The resolution before us today recognizes the past injustices 
and points the way toward a future where such wrongs are no longer 
perpetuated in this country. Each Member of this Congress as a servant 
of the people is duty bound to apply these lessons of the past to the 
challenges we now face. In doing so, we show our continued efforts 
toward ensuring that our country avoids similarly misguided policies 
now and in the future.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my friend, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra).
  Mr. BECERRA. I thank the gentleman from California, a friend and one 
of the champions on these issues, Mr. Berman, for his time. And I also 
thank Mr. Issa, a gentleman from California and a friend, for his 
support and leadership on these issues as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I think we rise here because this is what America is 
about. We often make mistakes, but one of the beauties of this country 
and the reason so many people wish to come here is because we have a 
way of healing and making amends, and there is such power in 
redemption. And for that reason I hope all of my colleagues will 
support House Resolution 122, authored by a champion of this cause, 
Congressman Mike Honda from California, because he has been at this for 
quite some time.
  We talk about the healing that has to take place. I want to make sure 
I mention the strength and loyalty and commitment of the Japanese 
Americans, the Italian Americans, and the German Americans who never 
lost hope and faith in our country's values, what our Founding Fathers 
really meant this country to mean to the rest of the world. They are 
lights for the rest of us, because even in the darkest times they held 
out hope. And today, so many years later, 65 years later we are here to 
say it is a day that we will remember not because it was great but 
because we know how to do great things from things we did wrong.
  So I stand here proudly to say to Mr. Honda, thank you so much for 
your leadership in this cause. Let us continue forward. Let us not 
forget those who have not yet seen justice. There are about 2,300 
Japanese Latin Americans who were in essence kidnapped by our U.S. 
Government in the 1940s, brought to this country, held here, and in 
many cases used as exchange for American prisoners who were caught by 
the Japanese during World War II. They never received any justice. And 
I hope that we will continue to turn the page toward more full justice 
for all of us here in this country.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, to live up to the principles on which this 
great nation was

[[Page 3723]]

founded, we must stand for freedom for all Americans, in wartime and in 
times of peace.
  On February 19, 1942, Executive Order 9066 was signed, ushering in 
one of the darkest periods in our nation's history. During World War 
II, more than 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent were removed from 
their homes and placed in internment camps. Under baseless fears of 
Japanese Americans disloyalty, families were ripped apart and entire 
communities uprooted.
  History has shown that this action, as well as restrictions on 
Americans of German and Italian ancestry, was not only wrong, but also 
indefensible. The National Day of Remembrance is an opportunity to 
learn from the lessons of our past as we work for a better future. I 
join Representatives Honda, Becerra, Wu, Scott, Abercrombie, Matsui, 
Bordallo, Hirono, and many of our colleagues for a National Day of 
Remembrance on February 19.
  In these difficult times of war, as we face the threat of terrorism, 
the lessons of that dark chapter are especially relevant today. As we 
protect and defend the American people, we must protect and defend the 
Constitution and the civil liberties that define our democracy.
  I join my colleagues, especially the Members of the Congressional 
Asian Pacific American Caucus, who fight for justice and equality every 
day, to ensure that history is never repeated again.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 
122, which lends support to the goals of the Japanese American, German 
American, and Italian American communities in recognizing a National 
Day of Remembrance to increase public awareness of the restriction, 
exclusion, and internment that these communities suffered during World 
War II.
  In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, 
requiring 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry to be removed forcibly 
from their homes and placed in internment camps--two-thirds of these 
were American citizens, none of which had ever shown disloyalty to the 
American cause. Forced to live under harsh conditions, the last 
internment camp closed four long years later.
  A little known fact of this shameful history is that Americans of 
German, Italian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, and Romanian descent were 
interned as well. Further, those that escaped internment often suffered 
from discrimination and prejudice at the hands of legislators and their 
fellow citizens.
  These innocent Americans were treated unjustly by their own 
government during a time of war, simply because of their national 
origins. Such maltreatment must not go unremembered. It is absolutely 
essential to remember the past mistakes of our government in an effort 
to avoid future ones.
  In times of war it may be easy to get carried away and put labels on 
those around us, assuming what their political ideals are based solely 
on their national origin or religious background. But as we have seen 
in World War II, such assumptions are unjust and can lead to disastrous 
consequences for a group of individuals.
  By celebrating a National Day of Remembrance on February 19th, we 
renew our promise as a Nation to never let this happen again. We must 
ensure that all Americans are aware of these historical events, so that 
they may join us in an effort to prevent the repetition of such acts of 
prejudice. I commend my colleague from California, Mr. Honda, for 
introducing H. Res. 122 to support these goals.
  I also commend the efforts of other Americans who recognize the 
significance of these events and create awareness within our 
communities, especially among our youth. The Public Broadcasting 
Service has made efforts to do just that, by providing a classroom 
resource online to teach middle and high school students about these 
events and to help them think critically about their impact. During the 
week of February 19, 2007, this year's National Day of Remembrance, I 
encourage our Nation's educators to teach their youth about these 
events in our Nation's history.
  In honor of the Japanese American, German American, and Italian 
American communities within our Nation, let us never allow such unjust 
practices occur in this great Nation again. I urge my colleagues to 
join me in supporting H. Res. 122.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, February 9th marks the 65th anniversary of 
the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin Delano 
Roosevelt, which authorized the forcible removal of 120,000 Japanese 
Americans--two-thirds of whom were United States citizens and the 
remainder of whom were permanent residents--living in the western 
United States to internment camps throughout the country. Today I rise 
in strong support of House Resolution 122, which recognizes February 
19th as the National Day of Remembrance of these acts of injustice 
committed against Japanese Americans and of the curtailing of the 
rights of Italian and German Americans in the United States. I urge my 
colleagues' support for this resolution.
  Nearly 3 months after the Imperial Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 
precipitated the United States' entrance into World War II, this 
executive order led to the incarceration and relocation of loyal 
Americans of Japanese descent. I stand here today to acknowledge the 
pain and suffering that they, along with many Italian Americans and 
German Americans, endured.
  The first of over 100,000 Japanese Americans stripped of their rights 
as Americans by the authorities of Executive Order 9066 were those that 
resided on Bainbridge Island in the State of Washington. They were 
given only 6 days to sell their belongings, close their businesses, and 
pack-up their lives before they were resettled in internment camps 
elsewhere in the United States. And on the morning of March 30, 1942, 
these Americans were congregated at Eagledale Ferry Dock under armed 
guard before being transported to an internment camp. Friends and 
neighbors converged as a symbolic gesture of unity and support for 
these Japanese Americans who were involuntarily removed from their 
community. They left behind all of their belongings and possessions 
that they could not carry or wear. Relegated to internment camps and 
living in barracks that were hastily built and unprotected from the 
elements, they tried to create stability for the families in a time of 
turmoil. Their children attended school and participated in 
extracurricular activities, all while being surrounded by barbed wire 
and under the watchful eyes of armed guards. Japanese Americans 
remained interned in these sites for the duration of the war.
  Italian Americans and German Americans also were branded as enemy 
aliens and forced to acquiesce to provisions that included required 
identification cards, travel restrictions, seizure of personal 
property, and imprisonment during this time. Their wrongful treatment 
also deserves our attention and consideration to ensure that similar 
actions are never again repeated, experienced or relived.
  This National Day of Remembrance is an opportunity for us to educate 
ourselves and others and to increase public awareness surrounding these 
harmful wartime decisions made by the United States Government. We take 
this time to recognize the Japanese American, Italian American, and 
German American communities that continue to plan events surrounding 
this anniversary, further ensuring that future generations never forget 
the mistakes of our past. These communities continue the legacy of 
honoring their elders, whose patriotism and courage during World War II 
are a testament to the enduring loyalty of ethnic minority Americans 
throughout this country.
  We also acknowledge through passage of House Resolution 122 the 
occurrence of an egregious infringement of American citizenship rights. 
Passage of this resolution would provide an official record of our hope 
and determination that an act similar to this one is never repeated in 
the future. The National Day of Remembrance marks the beginning of the 
forced exodus of an entire ethnic minority from the western United 
States and today we hope to transform it into a means of educating 
future generations of the importance of civil liberties, especially in 
times of war.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from California and 
our Chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Mr. 
Honda, for his leadership in commemorating the National Day of 
Remembrance on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the signing of 
Executive Order 9066 and for sponsoring this resolution.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, February 19, we will mark the 
65th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President 
Franklin D. Roosevelt. This resolution authorized the internment of 
over one hundred thousand American citizens and legal resident aliens 
of Japanese, German, and Italian ancestry. At the hands of our 
government, Japanese, German, and Italian citizens suffered grievous 
violations of their civil liberties. These war-time measures were far-
reaching, uprooting entire communities and targeting citizens as well 
as resident aliens.
  Although the greatest numbers of those impacted by Executive Order 
9066 were Japanese-Americans, little is known about the impact of the 
measure on Italian and German- Americans. Like Japanese-Americans, 
Italian and German-Americans were branded ``enemy aliens'' and were 
required to carry identification cards, saddled with travel 
restrictions, had their personal property seized, and placed in 
internment. For example, 3,200 resident aliens of Italian background 
were arrested and more than 300 of them were interned. About 11,000 
German residents--including some naturalized

[[Page 3724]]

citizens--were arrested and more than 5,000 were interned.
  Executive Order 9066 was finally rescinded by Gerald Ford on April 
19, 1976 and in 1983, the Commission on Wartime Relocation and 
Internment of Civilians (CWRIC) concluded that the incarceration of 
Japanese-Americans had not been justified by military necessity. 
Rather, the report determined that the decision to incarcerate was 
based on ``race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political 
leadership.'' The Civil Liberties Act of 1988, based on the CWRIC 
recommendations, was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan and an 
appropriations bill authorizing reparations to be paid between 1990 and 
1998 was signed by George H.W. Bush in 1989. Finally, in 1990, 
surviving internees began to receive individual redress payments and a 
letter of apology. Through these acts, our government has attempted to 
make amends, yet the initial effects of Executive Order 9066 remain in 
the hearts and minds of many Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the Congressional Italian-American 
Delegation, I fully support H. Res. 122, which would effectively 
recognize the significance of the 65th anniversary of Executive Order 
9066 and support the goals of the Japanese-American, German-American, 
and Italian-American communities in recognizing a National Day of 
Remembrance. This bill will go a long way in helping to increase public 
awareness of the events surrounding the restriction, exclusion, and 
internment of individuals and families during World War II, and I urge 
my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, February 19th marks the 65th anniversary of 
one of the greatest mistakes in our country's long history.
  On that day in 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, 
which authorized the internment of tens of thousands of Japanese 
Americans. This executive order was also applied to a smaller group of 
Americans of both Italian and German descent.
  In recognition of the 65th anniversary of the internments, I rise 
today in strong support of H. Res. 122. This resolution supports the 
goals of the Japanese American, German American, and Italian American 
communities in recognizing a National Day of Remembrance for those 
individuals who were unjustly imprisoned.
  It is said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to 
repeat it. A National Day of Remembrance would increase public 
awareness of the events surrounding the internment of innocent 
Americans and their families.
  While our society has made important strides towards ending racial 
discrimination and inequality in the 65 years since President Roosevelt 
signed Executive Order 9066, we still have a long road ahead of us.
  Just last week, alarming statistics were released on the resurgence 
of the KKK and other hate groups in the United States.
  This is why we must pass this resolution. Our government and our 
leaders cannot make the mistakes of the past. Instead they must guide 
us to a greater understanding and respect for all Americans.
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Berman) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 122.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will 
be postponed.

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