MATSUI STATEMENT ON PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION COMMEMORATING DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-06), released the following statement after President Biden issued a Presidential Proclamation commemorating Day of Remembrance, the date in 1942 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 – leading to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

“It has been 80 years since Executive Order 9066 incarcerated over 120,000 Japanese Americans, including my parents. Families were taken from their homes and stripped of their most basic freedoms – simply because of their heritage. On Day of Remembrance, the Japanese American community comes together to not only reflect, but to tell our story, teach others, and lift up the voices of our community.

“Since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office, we have worked together to start a national renewal of unity, truth, and compassion. Today’s proclamation by President Biden is an important statement of commitment to a sacred American value – celebrating our diversity as a force against hate and discrimination. Those of us in the Japanese American community understand just how important these actions are.

“Yet, we cannot turn our heads from the work we still have to do to root out injustice. The angry currents in our nation can still quickly corrupt our better angels. That is what makes Day of Remembrance so vitally important for all Americans. When we take the time to listen and learn from the ugly moments of our history, it enables us to better identify injustice in the present. We all share the charge to ensure that our country not only learns from, but never forgets its past. We must continue to be vocal advocates for justice – reminding our younger generations of the work that remains to build a more inclusive, equitable future for us all.”

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