Japanese American Civil Liberties Monument - Sacramento, CA - Civil Rights Memorials on Waymarking.com

"In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Gentlemen's Agreement with Japan. This halted immigration of Japanese laborers to the United States. Japanese women, however, were excluded from this Agreement. From 1907 to 1924.2 thousands of Japanese women immigrated to the U.S. as "picture brides" to marry husbands who were introduced to them through photos.

Pursuing the American Dream Issei (first generation) immigrants from Japan arrived in the United States as early as the late 1800's. Like many other immigrants of this era, the Issei came to this country seeking a better way of life for themselves and their families. At one point, over forty Japantown communities were established on the West Coast United States. Sacramento's Japantown had over 300 thriving businesses prior to World War II.

The population of Japanese in America increased as the Issei immigrants started to have children. Their Nisei (second generation) children were United States citizens by birthright. By 1942, there were over 127,000 persons of Japanese Ancestry living in the Continental United States, over 90% lived in the West Coast States.

Executive Order 9066 At the onset of World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. This Order allowed the military the authority to remove all persons of Japanese Ancestry living on the West Coast of the United States from their homes and place them in concentration camps.

Farmers left valuable crops unharvested. Many items such as treasured heirlooms and family belongings were lost, stolen or destroyed.

Forced Removal Everything came to a grinding halt when Executive Order 9066 was signed on February 19, 194%. The Executive Order, which authorized the forced removal, was viewed in the Japanese American community with shock and disbelief.

Armed guards monitored Japanese Americans on the trains and buses destined to American Concentration Camps.

Over 120,000 men, women and children of Japanese ancestry were put into American Concentration Camps. Each was given a number to identify themselves. Many of them no longer felt like free citizens, but rather pieces of property.

Processing Destined for mass imprisonment without being charged, without an indictment and without a trial of any kind - this was not the America that Japanese Americans had been taught to believe in and to trust.

concentration camp, noun 1. A camp where civilians, enemy aliens, political prisoners, and sometimes prisoners of war are detained and confined, typically under harsh conditions. 2. A place or situation characterized by extremely harsh conditions.

American Concentration Cants Over 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry were imprisoned in American concentration camps, 70 percent were United States citizens.

THE JAPANESE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES MONUMENT IS DEDICATED TO THE ISSEL PIONEERS THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS OF JAPANESI AMERICANS AS WEEIAS NATIONALITIES CAN LIVE IN AMERICA WITHOUT FEAR OF PERSECUTION OF ACT

August 10, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 requiring an apology and reparation to an estimated 60,000 survivors of incarceration in American Concentration Camps veavemble On October 9, 1990 President George Bush signed a Letter of Apology which was sent to all individuals incarcerated in American Concentration Camps along with a reparation payment. Redress Executive Order 9066 was rescinded on Feb. 19, 1976. "An honest reckoning must include a recognition of our national mistakes as well as our national achievements. Learning from our mistakes is not pleasant, but as a great philosopher once admonished, We must do so if we want to avoid repeating them.

Returning back to their homes and farms from the concentration camps proved very difficult for Japanese Americans. They were targets of violence and terrorism. Many businesses refused to provide services to Japanese Americans. United States Army Captain Daniel K. Inouye lost his right arm in military combat fighting for his country. Inouye stepped into a barbershop, in full uniform displaying all his medals, and was denied service. He was told, "We don't serve Japs here."

Resettlement On December 18, 1944, in the case of Endo v. U.S., the Supreme Court ruled that Endo and other admittedly loyal American citizens cannot be imprisoned indefinitely. Effective January 2, 1945, 120,000 men, women and children of Japanese ancestry were free to return to their homes on the West Coast.

In 1942, 3 Nisei men, Gordon Hirabayashi, Minoru Yasui and Fred Korematsu were individually charged and convicted of violating the military exclusion order. The three men appealed their cases all the way to the United • States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court rulings were as follows: Hirabayashi and yostitu. U.S., June 81, 1048 Wine supreme Court ruled that a curfew may be imposed against one group of American citizens based solely on ancestry. Hirabayashi and Yasui were convicted of violating the military orders and sentenced to prison terms ) Korematsu v. U.S., December 18, 1944 The Supreme Court ruled that one group of citizens may be singled out and expelled, from their homes and imprisoned for several years without a trial, based solely or ancestry. Korematsu was convicted of violating the military order and sentenced to prison, In 1983, Gordon Hirabayashi, Minoru Yasut and. Fred Korematsu filed legal proceedings called a right of coram nobis requesting the courts to overturn their wartime convictions. They argued that the court rulings at the time were based upon NO PERSON SHALL BE DEPRIVED historically false War Department findings that there was a "military necessity" for the mass OF LIFE, LIBERTY OR PROPERTY incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans. This time they won. All three men's convictions WITHOUT DUH PROCESS OF LAW. Bill of Rights, 5th Amendment were vacated.

Supreme Court
There were several Japanese Americans who bravely challenged and deliberately violated the military orders on the grounds that it was a clear violation of their constitutional rights. They believed that the United States had made a mistake and sought legal proceedings to right the wrong.

In July 1942, Nisei, Mitsuye Endo filed a writ of habeus corpus (right to be, brought before a court) for being detained against her will without being charged. It took nearly a year for a federal district court to announce the decision denying her plea for release. Mitsuye Endo appealed her case and was eventually heard by the Supreme Court. After nearly two and a half years of detainment, on December 18, 1944, 'the Supreme Court ruled that Endo and other admittedly loyal American a citizens cannot be imprisoned indefinitely without being charged."

Civil Right Type: Race (includes U.S. Civil Rights movement)

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