In the days following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the FBI rounded up thousands of Japanese immigrants who were detained without charges. Then, on February 19, 1942 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, forcing 120,000 Japanese Americans into concentration camps. The Commission on the Wartime Relocation and Incarceration of Civilians concluded that this action was a result of “race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.”
The 37th Annual San Jose Day of Remembrance event takes place on the 75th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066. The 2017 event carries the theme, “Stand Up To Hate.” Hundreds of people will gather together at this annual event not only to remember the great civil liberties tragedy that occurred 75 years ago, but also to reflect on the rising tensions that are building within our communities today and what we can do to build bridges of trust, respect, and friendship.
Featured Speaker: Samina Masood, the Executive Director of Silicon Valley FACES. The mission of FACES is to build communities free of bias, bigotry, bullying, and violence. FACES recently hosted “Meet a Muslim” programs, diversity training workshops, and a Black Lives Matter discussion.
Featured Speaker: Congressman Mike Honda, Congressman from 2001 to 2017. Former Congressman Honda was incarcerated at the Amache internment camp. He recently wrote about his concerns over today’s rising tide of fear and bigotry in an op-ed for Reuters, “When my Japanese-American family was treated as less than human.”
Cultural Performance: ASWAT Ensemble, the Bay Area’s Premier Arab Music Ensemble.
Cultural Performance: San Jose Taiko, San Jose Japantown’s cultural ambassadors.
San Jose Day of Remembrance The Day of Remembrance is an event that aims to bring different communities together in order to build trust, respect, and understanding among all people and to renew our pledge to fight for equality, justice, and peace.
The event is free and open to the public.
For more information call 408-373-0817, email at info@sjnoc.org.
