Political Quotes

“Mr. President, 74 years ago, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. That order led to the mass internment of nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans. Executive Order 9066 is an example of what can happen when a government acts out of fear. Today I am submitting a resolution that recognizes this dark chapter and calls for the Senate and all Americans to uphold the lessons learned from the issuance of Executive Order 9066. In the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, Americans of Japanese ancestry living in the United States became a target of paranoia, suspicion, and fear. Without any evidence of subterfuge, the government classified Japanese Americans as ``enemy aliens'' based purely on race and removed Japanese families from the west coast in the name of national security. These were families like yours and mine-- farmers, students, shop owners, Buddhist priests, and teachers, parents and grandparents working toward the American dream of giving their children a better future. The majority were American citizens. These families were forced to abandon or sell for a pittance homes and businesses they had spent decades building. Many destroyed family treasures that could link them to Japan. Thousands of college students had their educations cut short when they were forced to leave school for the internment camps.…”