MATSUI STATEMENT ON JAPANESE AMERICAN DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07), released the following statement on Japanese American Day of Remembrance, the 82nd anniversary of the date in 1942 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 – leading to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.
“82 years ago, Executive Order 9066 displaced and incarcerated over 120,000 Japanese Americans, including my family,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “Everyday Americans, American citizens, homeowners and shopkeepers, doctors, lawyers and farmers were taken away from their homes and put in terrible conditions. Families and children were put behind barbed wire and guarded by armed soldiers. Day of Remembrance stands as a day of reflection on these injustices, an opportunity to educate our younger generations and ensure we all remain vigilant in our pursuit of justice.”
“The essence of the American experience is not that we are perfect, but that we continually seek to do better – that we try our best to right our wrongs,” Matsui continued. “Today, far too many Americans continue to experience discrimination and prejudice. That is why the Japanese American story cannot afford to be lost in time. When the most angry, fearful currents of our nation rear their head, we can look to the past for guidance to stop injustice in its tracks. Day of Remembrance reminds us to lead with compassion and understanding and stay unrelenting in our work to build a more equitable future.”
To ensure the continued teaching of Japanese American history, Congresswoman Matsui authored the Norman Y. Mineta Japanese American Confinement Education Act, which was signed by President Biden in January 2023. The bill reauthorized the Japanese American Confinement Site program within the National Park Service. This program has been one of the primary resources in the preservation and interpretation of the U.S. Confinement Sites where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II. Additionally, the legislation establishes a separate, new 5 year, $2 million per year competitive grant to create educational materials about the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.
# # #