House pays tribute to WWII interned Japanese-Americans on 76th anniversary of Executive Order 9066

February 19, 2018

The State House of Representatives paused from its business Monday to remember the American men, women and children of Japanese ancestry who were sent to internment camps during World War II. Rachel Case reports from the state Capitol.

CASE: Monday was the 76th anniversary of the day President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. The measure authorized U.S. armed forces commanders to move more than 120 thousand persons of Japanese ancestry from their homes on the West Coast and into internment camps for the duration of World War II.

The action was taken to prevent acts of espionage and sabotage by Japanese-Americans, but Representative Norm Johnson, a Republican from Yakima, said it was travesty of justice in American history.

JOHNSON: “It is important for all of us to remember the past so that this black mark of history is never, never repeated. I am proud to live in a nation of the land of the free and the home of the brave. Our Japanese American neighbors were brave. They are loyal. And I am proud to stand here today and honor their sacrifices.”

CASE: On Monday, lawmakers approved House Resolution 4673, which recognizes and honors Japanese-American citizens living in Washington state. Rachel Case, Olympia.