A Hyphenated Spirit: Ethnic Prejudice and Japanese American Incarceration during WWII

A 1983 Congressional Blue-Ribbon Commission declared that the incarceration of Japanese American citizens during the Pacific War (Executive Order 9066, issued by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1942) had been a “grave injustice” caused by “race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.” Indeed, this dark chapter of American history resulted in the relocation of 117,000 people including 70,000 US Citizens, based solely on their ethnic heritage.  This talk will investigate the history behind why the US population in 1942 was willing to accept that individuals of Japanese descent had a “hyphenated spirit” and, therefore, should be denied their civil rights. Ultimately, we will interrogate the specter of the landmark, ethnically-based Executive Order 9066 to understand how it still haunts contemporary US politics. Presented by Dr. Anne Giblin Gedacht, Assistant Professor of History at Seton Hall University. Please email [email protected] to register to receive link to program.