30 Minutes features a conversation with Editor of the Southern Arizona Japanese Cultural Coalition Carolyn Sugiyama Classen. She was the former legislative aid to US Senator Daniel Inouye from Hawai’i who was instrumental in the creation of the National Commission which investigated the World War II Japanese American internment. February 19, 2017 marks the 75th anniversary President Franklin D. Roosevelt signing of Executive Order 9066 which caused the relocation and internment of more than 100,000 Japanese Americans.
In 1982 the Commission published its findings in “Personal Justice Denied”. This was stated in the conclusion (page 18): “The promulgation of Executive Order 9066 was not justified by military necessity…The broad historical causes which shaped these decisions were race prejudice, war hysteria and a failure of political leadership. A grave injustice was done to American citizens and resident aliens of Japanese ancestry who, without individual review or any probative evidence against them, were excluded, removed and detained by the U.S. during WWII.”
Carolyn Sugiyama Classen is also Carolyn Classen, J.D. Blogger at Blog for Arizona, You can read the remarks she made at a February 18th 75th Anniversary Day of Remembrance Event at the Tucson Desert Art Museum here.
The 2017 Tucson Festival of Books will discuss WWII Japanese American internment camps on March 11th and 12th. You can learn more here.
Recorded and produced by Amanda Shauger.
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