On February 19, 1942, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the Secretary of War to prescribe military areas within the United States for "protection against espionage and against sabotage." This order led to the forcible removal and incarceration of more than 110,000 men, women, and children of Japanese ancestry, none of whom were ever found guilty of espionage or sabotage. The Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, an investigative measure created under Jimmy Carter, concluded in 1982 that the incarceration came of "race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership," and in 1990, survivors of the incarceration camps began to receive redress payments and letters of apology from the United States government. More information about the history of Japanese Americans and the process and legacy of their incarceration can be found here.
Since the 1970s, the Japanese American community has commemorated the signing of Executive Order 9066 with gatherings, exhibits, and other events around the country. A partial schedule of 2016 events can be found below. To add an event to this list, please contact Charlotte Steinhardt at .
2016 Day of Remembrance Events
(All times are local)
California Museum
$20.00 GA, $15.00 Student Admission
Sunday, February 14
San Jose State University
San Jose, CA 95192
5:30pm-7:30pm
Free and open to the public
Monday, February 15—Friday, February 19
Free and open to the public
Thursday, February 18
Open to Nisei veterans and incarcerees. For more information, please contact the Nisei Veterans Committee at .
Free and open to the public
Richmond, CA 94804
Free and open to the public
Friday, February 19
33 Arroyo Drive
South San Francisco, CA 94080
6:00pm-7:00pm
National Museum of American History
Washington, D.C., 20001
5:30pm-8:45pm (Displays, Performance, & Book Signing)
Saturday, February 20
Pay what you wish
Tickets: $10 ($8 for students); packages available
Deschutes Public Library
507 NW Wall St, Bend, OR 97701
2:00pm-3:30pm
Free and open to the public
Washington Terrace, UT 84405
$10 at the door
1515 12th Ave
12:00pm
$11; packages available
Sunday, February 21
Chicago History Museum
Chicago, IL 60614
901 12th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122
Proceeds go to scholarships for youth and incarcerees over 80 years old to attend the Minidoka Pilgrimage
Free admission; suggested donation of $8
Tuesday, February 23
$6.27–$11.54
Richmond, CA 94804
Free and open to the public
Saturday, February 27
Gardena, CA 90247
2:00pm-4:00pm
Free and open to the public
Sunday, February 28
1:00pm-4:00pm
Saturday, March 7
1:00pm-3:00pm
The University Press of Colorado is proud to publish The George and Sakaye Aratani Nikkei in the Americas Series, edited by Lane Ryo Hirabayashi. The Nikkei in the Americas Series endeavors to present the best scholarship available that illustrates the evolving nature of contemporary Nikkei identities and communities, with special attention to innovative scholarship, perspectives, as well as relevant creative contributions to the field.