February 19, 2009
Another February 19 brings another Day of Remembrance. We Japanese Americans and friends of civil liberties observe the anniversary of FDR’s signing of Executive Order 9066 every year. And every year it seems more people know about the mass imprisonment that the infamous order set off. They even seem to know more details of the sad story. Densho appreciates the citation and mention on this self-described conservative activist’s blog. On educating Americans about the full scope of U.S. history, see the conclusion of this recent NPR piece.
If you want to know why the Day of Remembrance remains important to “JAs,” here’s a good column by Irene Hirano, trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and former president and CEO of the Japanese American National Museum in LA.
As for the part Seattle and King County played in the commemoration, this webpage sums it up. The photo here is of Seattle’s Mayor Charles Royer signing a Day of Remembrance proclamation in 1978. Some of you will recognize the longtime redress activists standing behind him. We in the Pacific Northwest are proud to be among the instigators of the drive to remember, and to demand redress.
