Day of Remembrance
“70 Years After EO 9066: Defending Our Civil Liberties”

The 2012 Los Angeles Day of Remembrance program is set for Saturday, February 18 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of President Roosevelt’s signing of Executive Order 9066, an action that dramatically impacted the lives of 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry and subsequent generations of Japanese Americans.

E.O. 9066 gave the military the authority to exclude any or all persons from selected military areas. The order led to the forced removal of Japanese Americans from the entire West Coast and their incarceration for the duration of World War II. The DOR will, once again, pay tribute to the Issei and Nisei for their courage in response to this grave injustice and in rebuilding their lives after the war.

The DOR’s theme: “70 Years After E.O. 9066: Defending our Civil Liberties” will be addressed by Robin Toma, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations. Toma was the pro bono lead counsel for Carmen Mochizuki, et al. V. United States of America, the case that challenged the denial of reparations for 2,264 Japanese Latin Americans. Toma has a long record of legal advocacy for human rights, race and language discrimination, immigrant rights, homeless rights and freedom of speech issues.

The theme will also be addressed with a multi-media performance piece directed by traci kato- kiriyama. The performance will explore the issues of injustices to ethnic and racial minorities and the importance of speaking out against the violations of our rights.

In support of the DOR and the community, Shakeel Syed, Executive Director of the Islamic Shura Council, will be one of the event’s emcees. Syed, a recipient of a Community Leadership Award from the Orange County Human Relations Commission, stated, “As a Muslim-American I am proud to call Japanese-Americans my brothers/sisters. Their deep fortitude inspires me to work together in our common struggle to reclaim and restore the spirit of America.”

The program will be followed by a reception catered by Carrie’s Community Catering.
Organizers of the DOR are the Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress, the Pacific Southwest District/JACL, and the Japanese American National Museum.

 

The program is sponsored by the Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress (NCRR), the Japanese American Citizens League/ Pacific Southwest District (JACL/PSWD) and the National Museum. The theme of this year’s event is “70 Years After E.O. 9066: Defending Our Civil Liberties”.