Feb 19, 2022

Today on this day of remembrance, I pay tribute to all the Isseis, the first generation Japanese like my parents Jack and Hide. What bravery they had. They navigated the most difficult of times with a great deal of courage, dignity and grace. They set an example for all of us.

80 years ago on February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which gave the U.S. Army the authority to remove civilians from the military zones that were established in Washington, Oregon, and California right after the attack on Pearl Harbor. This led to the incarceration of more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent, two-thirds of whom were American citizens.