OLYMPIA, WA — Washington lawmakers on Thursday marked the Day of Remembrance and adopted House Resolution 4692, recognizing the 84th anniversary of Executive Order 9066 and the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.
Signed on February 19, 1942, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the order authorized the removal of more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast, including about 12,000 Washington residents. Many were first sent to temporary detention sites such as Camp Harmony at the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup before being transferred to more permanent camps inland.
The House resolution, adopted unanimously, calls for remembrance of Japanese American veterans, incarcerees, and civil rights activists, and reflection on the nation’s commitment to “liberty and justice for all”.
During floor remarks, Rep. Brian Burnett, R-Wenatchee, urged vigilance against repeating such actions.
“Never again should any group be singled out and treated as less than fully American, less than fully human,” Burnett said.
Rep. Skyler Rude, R-Walla Walla, said remembering history should guide leaders during periods of fear and uncertainty.
“Remembrance, in my opinion, is an act of vigilance in itself,” Rude said. “When rhetoric replaces responsibility, when those in positions of authority choose to raise the temperature rather than lower it, history shows us where that path can lead”.
The resolution also references the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated unit of Japanese American soldiers formed in 1943, many of whom volunteered while their families were incarcerated. It cites a 1982 congressional commission that concluded there was no military or security justification for the incarceration, attributing it instead to “racial prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership”.
The measure notes that federal reparations legislation introduced by former Washington Congressman Mike Lowry ultimately led to President Ronald Reagan signing the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.
