Project documents Japanese internment victims in America
- A recent initiative seeks to document the names of Japanese Americans who were interned during WWII.
- Approximately 127,000 individuals were forcibly removed and detained without due process.
- This project serves as a warning to society about the risks of racial profiling and exclusionary practices, ensuring that such events are not repeated.
In the United States, a project led by USC professor Duncan Williams aims to chronicle the names of all individuals who were forcibly detained in Japanese internment camps during World War II. This historical initiative has compiled the names of 1,194 Japanese American residents from Berkeley, California, who were removed from their homes due to Executive Order 9066. The ongoing project emphasizes the importance of remembering these individuals as it sheds light on a dark period in American history marked by racial prejudice and mass detention without due process. This public remembrance intersects with current issues of immigration and civil rights. Eizo Kobayashi, a 93-year-old survivor of the internment, expressed how the experience shaped his life and reinforced his appreciation for citizenship. During a recent exhibit titled "Roots, Removal and Resistance" at the Berkeley Historical Society Museum, attendees, including Kobayashi and his daughter, participated in stamping their names in a commemorative book that honors the legacy of internees. The event reflects a collective desire to ensure that the injustices of the past are not repeated, while also fostering a sense of pride and survival among the survivors and their families. The overarching goal is not only to preserve the memory of those interned but also to raise awareness about the potential dangers of targeting specific communities in times of national crisis, sending a clear message against repeating history's mistakes.