 |
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Current Events | |
| ELLIS ISLAND INTERNMENT CONFERENCE DECEMBER 8, 2009 | |
|
CONFERENCE SPONSORED BY GERMAN WORLD ALLIANCE
On December 8, 2009, the 68th anniversary of the internment of the first German Americans under the U. S. Government's Alien Enemy Control Program, the German World Alliance, in co-operation with the National Park Service and the support of the German American Internee Coalition (www.gaic.info), Maj. Arthur D. Jacobs of foitimes.com, the Steuben Society and many other German-American organizations, will host a conference entitled “ELLIS ISLAND: WHERE IT BEGAN AND WHERE IT ENDED.” The conference will be held from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Ellis Island, in the lecture hall above the Great Hall. The conference will offer an overview of the Department of Justice internment program, from pre-war planning, to its inception on December 8, 1941 through its end on Ellis Island in 1948, three years after the end of World War II. Talks by former internees will be supported by maps, videos, internment memorabilia and photos of Ellis Island and other World War II internment camps. The conference will commemorate the thousands of German and Italian Americans and German and Italian Latin Americans who were interned and highlight the fact that their internment remains unknown. It is hoped that Congress will finally pass the Wartime Treatment Study Act which would create an independent commission to analyze the facts and circumstances surrounding the internment of German and Italian Americans and Latin Americans. All former internees and their families are encouraged to attend. The general public is welcome to join former internees and learn about this unknown aspect of Ellis Island's and America's history. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION contact:
For further information on the Ellis Island National Monument and directions, including ferry service: www.nps.gov/elis and www.nps.gov/ner/customcf/apps/eventcalendar/events/elisevent77847935.html
|
|
| HR 1425 Reported Out of US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee | |
|
The German American Internee Coalition is thrilled that on October 21, 2009, the Wartime Treatment Study Act made a huge step toward passage when it was reported favorably out of the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee. The bipartisan vote was 19-7, including two Republicans. With this action, HR 1425 is now set for passage by the House of Representatives. Former German internees and their families and friends sincerely appreciate the support of the House Judiciary Committee and the leadership of Rep. Robert Wexler, House Immigration Subcommittee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren and House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers for their leadership in making this possible. On July 31, 2009, the bill was voted favorably out of the House Immigration Subcommittee which held the hearing in March noted below. For further information on HR 1425's legislative progress, please visit our Legislative Efforts page. GAIC is also pleased to note that the Wartime Relocation and Internment of Latin Americans of Japanese Descent Act (HR 42), which would create a commission to study the treatment of Japanese Latin Americans during World War II, was also voted favorably out of the Judiciary Committee.
|
|
| National Park Service Awards Japanese Confinement Sites Grants | |
|
In July 2009, the National Park Service announced the awarding of 19 new grants totaling $960,000 to help preserve and interpret many of the historic locations where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II. We are pleased to report that a number of the projects awarded funding focus on Department of Justice camps, which housed internees of German and Italian ethnicity, as well as Japanese. The German American Internee Coalition is working collaboratively with one grant recipient, the United Tribes Technical College, to plan a permanent exhibit that tells not only the story of Ft. Lincoln, but also the larger story of the Department of Justice's Alien Enemy Control Program. Other groups in the collaboration include Hesono O Productions, the National Japanese American Historical Society, the Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project, and the North Dakota Museum of Art. GAIC has also offered support to the projects of the Texas Historical Commission and the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, Montana. Listed below are the grants involving Department of Justice camps. North Dakota
Texas
Montana
Hawaii
|
|
| Congressional Oversight Hearing Held to Review the U.S. Wartime Treatment of German Americans and German Latin Americans | |
European American/Latin American panel from left: John Christgau, Karen Ebel, Heidi Donald, and John Fonte On March 19, 2009, the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law, chaired by Representative Zoe Lofgren (CA-16) joined by Ranking Member Steven King (IA-5), convened a hearing focused on the U.S. treatment of European Americans and Latin Americans, Japanese Latin Americans, and Jewish refugees during World War II. There were three panels, one for each subject. The hearing was an opportunity for supporters of the Wartime Treatment Study Act (H.R. 1425) to provide the Subcommittee with historical background on both the Alien Enemy Control Program (AECP) and the Latin American Special War Problems Division, detail the pain and suffering these programs caused to families, and answer questions about related issues. HR 1425, originally introduced by Rep. Robert Wexler (FL-19), would create two study commissions, one to review the U.S. wartime treatment of European Americans and Latin Americans and the second to review the U.S. denial of asylum to Jewish refugees fleeing persecution in Europe. Rep. Wexler attended the hearing showing his support for the legislation. Participating in the European American and Latin American panel were John Christgau, noted expert on the AECP and author, Karen Ebel, President of the German American Internee Coalition and daughter of a former German internee, and Heidi Gurcke Donald, a German former internee from Costa Rica. 
—European American and Latin American panel before the Subcommittee— Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, third from left; Ranking Member Steven King, fourth from left Chairwoman Lofgren graciously welcomed the witnesses and expressed how strongly she believed the historical record should include all those who suffered from U.S. World War II policies, including the Germans and the Italians. The testimony of the witnesses on behalf of the German community was clear, factual and effective. Mr. Christgau gave an extensive overview of the AECP, the enemy alien laws, relocation and internment. Ms. Ebel provided the subcommittee with a summary of her father's internment experience and the history of the WTSA. Mrs. Donald discussed the Latin American program and shared her family's story, relating their harrowing journey from Costa Rica to the Crystal City internment camp and describing the lasting effects their experiences had on her parents. The fourth witness, selected by Rep. King, was John Fonte, a Senior Fellow of the Hudson Institute. Among other comments, Mr. Fonte suggested that examination of U.S. treatment of European Americans and Latin Americans, particularly those of German ethnicity, was unnecessary and inadvisable. The witnesses were questioned most closely by Rep. King and Rep. Loretta Sanchez (CA-47). Both seemed particularly interested in the U.S. military service of family members of internees and the internees themselves. Ms. Ebel, whose father was drafted out of an internment camp, pointed out that the bombardier for Jimmy Doolittle in the Doolittle Raid over Tokyo in April 1942 was the son of a German alien who was interned at Ft. Lincoln in Bismarck, North Dakota, at the time. Rep. Dan Lungren (CA-3) discussed the importance of historical commissions at length. Chairwoman Lofgren thanked the panel for their enlightening presentations.  .. 
Japanese Latin American panel ..................................... Jewish Refugee panel The Jewish refugee panel included Valery Bazarov of the Hebrew Immigration Aid Society and David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee, Holocaust survivor and author, Leo Bretholz, and Michael Horowitz, a Senior Fellow of the Hudson Institute. Mr. Horowitz, selected by Rep. King, voiced his support of a Jewish refugee study commission, but quickly turned to a critique of the proposed European American commission. The first panel to present was the Japanese Latin American panel comprised of Dan Masterson, a professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, Grace Shimizu, head of Campaign for Justice/Redress Now for Japanese Latin Americans, and Libia Yamamoto, a former Japanese Peruvian internee. Written witness statements and the hearing video are now available on-line at the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee website. The complete hearing transcript and additional written statements from members of the German internee community, among others, will soon be posted on the Judiciary Committee website. What comes next? While there is no guarantee, our bill should be moved to markup by the House Immigration Committee for review. The bill will then go to another markup by the House Judiciary Committee. Assuming it is voted on favorably by the Judiciary Committee, it will then be passed to the House for a vote. (A markup session is a meeting of a committee or subcommittee in which a bill is carefully reviewed. Members may amend the legislation or combine it with other pieces of pending legislation.) How you can help. Approach your Representative, asking that he/she cosponsor H.R. 1425. Be a squeaky wheel! This is not a partisan issue; a Commission would simply investigate and acknowledge the policies that led to the deportation, internment, and repatriation of civilians of European ethnicity. See Legislative Efforts for more information on the bill and how to contact your Congress members. Let's get this legislation passed in this session of Congress!  .. 
Hearing Preparation..................................... After the Hearing
|
|
| National Park Service Announces Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program — April 2009 | |
|
The National Park Service (NPS) has announced that Japanese American Confinement Sites grant applications are now available for the preservation and interpretation of U.S. confinement sites where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II. Grants will be awarded to organizations and entities working to preserve historic Japanese American confinement sites and their history, including: private nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and state, local, and tribal governments, and other public entities. Ten War Relocation Authority camps, such as Tule Lake, Heart Mountain and others, are specifically included in the legislation, although Department of Justice, Army and temporary detention sites where Japanese, German and Italian Americans and Latin Americans were interned may also be considered. The legislation makes clear that projects funded must concentrate specifically on the Japanese American experience, although mention may be made of other ethnicities interned. Grants will be awarded through a competitive process and require a non-Federal match in at least a 2:1 ratio ($2 Federal to $1 non-Federal match). For Fiscal Year 2009, Congress appropriated $1 million for the use of this grant program. Please visit the following website for information about the grant program, program contact information, and to download grant application forms and instructions: http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/hpg/JACS/ Applications must be received by MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2009. Informational meetings about the grant program will be held across the nation during the next two months. Please visit the grant website or contact one of the NPS regional offices about times and locations.
|
|
| House Subcommittee Hearing on The Wartime Treatment Study Act Scheduled for March 19, 2009 | |
|
March 16, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Wartime Treatment Study Act (H.R. 1425/S. 564), was introduced on March 10, 2009. The Immigration Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing on this bipartisan legislation for Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 12 P.M. in 2237 Rayburn House Office Building. http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/hear_090319_1.html If passed, The Wartime Treatment Study Act would establish two fact-finding commissions, one to study the internments and restrictions imposed by the U.S. government on certain European Americans and European Latin Americans during World War II, and the other to study government policies limiting the ability of Jewish refugees to come to the United States before and during the war. Although the U.S. government has formally studied and recognized the mistreatment of Japanese Americans during World War II, no commission has been established to study the treatment of these other groups. During the World War II years, thousands of persons of German, Italian and Eastern European ancestry living in the U.S. and Latin America were unfairly arrested, interned, detained, or relocated. Many European Americans and European Latin Americans were later deported to hostile Axis nations, some in exchange for Americans and Latin Americans held in those nations. Prior to and during World War II, the U.S. restricted the entry of Jewish refugees who were fleeing persecution or genocide and sought safety in the U.S. The Wartime Treatment Study Act has been introduced five times. The bill was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee four times and approved by the full Senate as an amendment to the immigration bill in 2007, which later failed to pass. Upon introduction of this bill last week, Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) stated: "While we should be proud of our triumph in World War II, we should also come to terms with how certain people of European descent were treated by our government." For further information contact:
|
|
| Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus issues Day of Remembrance letter | |
On February 4, 2009, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) issued its annual Day of Remembrance letter to Day of Remembrance participants. The concluding paragraph of the letter states:
It has been over two decades since the enactment of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 in which Congress and the president recognized the egregious actions against persons of Japanese ancestry during World War II. Despite this historic legislation, the official narrative on this troubling narrative remains incomplete. There are hundreds of people of Japanese, German and Italian descent who also suffered indignities who continue to wait to tell their stories and to receive the recognition they deserve. While we work to ensure timely passage of legislation that would address the harm suffered by these groups, we encourage you as leaders, activists and volunteers to redouble efforts to increase awareness of this vitally important cause. |
|
| HEARTLAND, a play on German American Internment, Premieres at MiraCosta College Nov. 2008 | |
|
MiraCosta College Theatre Presents World Premiere Award Winning Play* Heartland By Anita Yellin Simons & Lauren Simon Directed by Eric Bishop
November 13-16 and 21-23, 2008 Thursday, Friday, Saturday @ 7:30 pm Sunday @ 2:00 pm MiraCosta College Theater 1 Barnard Drive, Oceanside Box Office: 760-795-6815 * Winner of Dayton Playhouse FutureFest 2008. Tony-winning director Marshall Mason said of Heartland, it is “a compelling story… well-structured [with] a large cast of diverse, complex characters and excellent dialogue.”
| |
| Whose America? Who's American? Diversity, Civil Liberties, and Social Justice -- July 3-6, 2008 | |
|
What: Whose America? Who's American? Diversity, Civil Liberties, and Social Justice? A National Conference presented by the Japanese American National Museum will examine the connections between the Japanese American experience and the historical and contemporary issues surrounding democracy and civil rights. When: July 3-6, 2008 Where: Denver, Colorado Why: Gather your friends and family from across the nation for this unique opportunity to share stories and experience together what we all can learn from the lessons of the past. Join conference attendees (click here for list of registrants to date) from over 40 states plus New Zealand for this unforgettable gathering. Karen Ebel, president of the German American Internee Coalition, will moderate a panel discussing "Enemy Alien Internment: Human/Civil Rights, the WWII Crystal City Camp, and Contemporary America." Tetsuden Kashima, author of Judgment without Trial, will act as moderator for the panel "Alien Places and Alien People: Department of Justice Internment Camps During World War II." Major support has been generously provided by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Aratani Foundation.
| |
| Manzanar National Historic Monument Receives Oral History Grant | |
|
Were you interned? Are you willing to share your story? Manzanar National Historic Site has recently been awarded a three year grant to expand the National Park Service collection of oral histories from people interned in the United States during World War II. We are particularly interested in collecting the experiences of German Americans and Latin Americans. If you are a former internee and willing to be interviewed, please contact Heidi Donald at hdonald@gaic.info
| |
| National Park Service Establishing Grant Proposal Criteria for Japanese American Confinement Site Legislation | |
|
In 2006, President Bush signed into law a bill which authorizes the National Park Service to spend up to $38 million to preserve historically significant Japanese American World War II confinement sites. Ten War Relocation Authority camps, such as Tule Lake, Heart Mountain and others, are specifically included in the legislation. The law also requires the Secretary of the Interior to identify additional confinement sites which will be eligible for the 50% matching grants to be offered. To accomplish this, NPS is soliciting public comment through November 2nd, 2007, and has conducted listening sessions throughout the country to get input. The GAIC believes that major Department of Justice, Army and temporary detention sites where Japanese, German and Italian Americans and Latin Americans were interned should be eligible for federal grant monies. The list of eligible confinement sites should include DoJ camps at Crystal City, Seagoville and Kenedy, Texas, Bismarck, North Dakota (Ft. Lincoln) and Missoula, MT (Ft. Missoula), US Army Camps McCoy (Sparta, WI), Forrest (Tullahoma, TN), Stringtown (Stringtown, OK), Sand Island and Honouliuli (HI), and several temporary detention sites, such those at Angel Island and Sharp Park, CA, Ellis Island, Gloucester City, NJ and East Boston, MA. Although not specifically included in the legislation, German and Italian internees were held in Department of Justice and Army camps, like the Japanese Americans. The evaluation criteria for the grant proposals are being established, after meetings were held to solicit public input. At this time, Congress has not appropriated funding for this program. Please email any questions to info@gaic.info. You may also read more about the program here.
| |
| German American Internee Reunion November 6-9, 2007 | |
THE SECOND NATIONAL REUNION OF GERMAN AMERICAN WORLD WAR II INTERNEE FAMILIES IN CRYSTAL CITY, TEXAS November 6 -- November 9, 2007 The second reunion of German American World War II internees was held in Crystal City, Texas from November 6 through November 9, 2007. The reunion was organized by former Crystal City internee, John A. Schmitz, and Dave Vogl, son of former Crystal City internee, Ed Vogl. For information on the Crystal City, Texas internment camp visit www.gaic.info or www.gaic.info/camp_doj.html#crystalcity. Photo of Crystal City courtesy of the UTSA. Anneliese “Lee” (Wiegand) Krauter, author of From the Heart's Closet—A Young Girl's World War II Story, wrote: …We gathered on the evening of November 6th in the lobby of the Holiday Inn in nearby Uvalde. Eight former internees showed up. Along with spouses, we comprised a very interesting group of 13 seniors.
| |
| Successful San Mateo Enemy Alien Conference and Drama Night | |
| “I intend to take the
teachers syllabus
and promote its contents.” “Extend the Conference to other cities, to educate ALL.” “The program told a story that hasn’t been told. Excellent. Very interesting.” “I have always felt that the media’s coverage of the plight of the ‘forgotten internees’ was a sad commentary on modern reporting.” These are a few of the many positive and enthusiastic comments from audience evaluations of the Enemy Alien Conference and “Freedom Lost: Three One-Act Plays” held in San Mateo, California on April 28, 2007. Around 225 people packed the conference room at the San Mateo City Library to hear six scholars and historians present various aspects of the Alien Enemy Control Program (AECP) in World War II, as well as point out parallels to today’s treatment of presumed enemies. Among attendees were former internees and their families. The one-act plays that evening, featuring nine professional actors from the Bay Area theater community, also played to a standing-room-only audience of nearly 300 people. Both the Conference and the plays were widely featured in the media, including KCBS, KQED, the San Jose Mercury News, and the Alameda News Group. The events were designed to mark the opening of the Enemy Alien Files exhibit in the San Francisco Peninsula, as well as introduce the “Alien Enemy Control Program Curriculum Guide and Lesson Plans” to a wider audience. The lesson plans include the scripts for three one-act Reader’s Theater dramatic productions, written by John Christgau, and featuring student-aged subjects of the AECP from the German, Italian, and Japanese communities. Both Lesson Plans and plays are suitable for students at the secondary or college/university level. All are available free on-line at this site, www.gaic.info, or by mail order through the National Japanese American Historical Society in San Francisco and in the Midwest through the TRACES Center for History and Culture in St. Paul, Minnesota. Scholars and historians presenting the program at the Conference included: John Christgau, author of “Enemies: World War II Alien Internment” and project director for the California Civil Liberties Public Education Project grant that supported both the April 28 events and the curriculum package development Steven Fox, author of “Fear Itself: Inside the FBI roundup of German Americans during World War II: The Past as Prologue” and “The Unknown Internment: An Oral History of the Relocation of Italian-Americans during World War II” (republished as “Uncivil Liberties”) Larry DiStasi, project director of the traveling exhibit Una Storia Segreta: When Italian American Were “Enemy Aliens” and author of “Una Storia Segreta: The Secret History of Italian American Evacuation and Internment during World War II” Grace Shimizu, JD, founder and Project Director of the Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project (JPOHP) and a founding member of the Campaign for Justice: Redress NOW for Japanese Latin Americans Isao Fujimoto, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Community Development and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Davis Jay Feldman, author of “When the Mississippi Ran Backwards: Empire, Intrigue, Murder, and the New Madrid Earthquake,” who is currently working on the first comprehensive book about the World War II Alien Enemy Control Program Karen Ebel, JD, cofounder of the German American Internee Coalition and leader of efforts to have Congress enact the Wartime Treatment Study Act, which would evaluate the treatment of resident aliens of European ethnicity by the AECP and U.S. response to Jews seeking asylum during WWII Planners of these successful events in San Mateo look forward to future programs. Karen Ebel, Grace Shimizu, and John Christgau have agreed to participate in the Oral History Association’s conference on “Diversity, Civil Liberties, and Social Justice” in Denver in July 2008. Christgau and Shimizu will also appear at the Association’s conference in Oakland in October 2007. Both conferences will provide an opportunity for continued distribution of enemy alien curriculum material. The one-act scripts, with no copyright or royalty restrictions for educational institutions, are part of the on-line instructional material, along with seventeen lesson plans regarding the AECP. To access the curriculum materials, click here. Plans are already in place for a student production of all three one-act plays at Skyline College on the San Francisco Peninsula in the spring of 2008. The National Japanese American Historical Society is planning a production of THE MASTER TAILOR’S WIFE in 2007-2008. Elsewhere, three Bay Area theater companies have been contacted with respect to their interest in the plays.  Former internees and family members acknowledged at Enemy Alien Conference.  The audience gathers for “Freedom Lost: Three One-Act Plays” by John Christgau  Former internees or their children (from left) Karen Ebel, Art Shibayama, Libia Yamamoto, Lothar Eiserloh, Ursula Vogt Potter, Ingrid Eiserloh, Herb Sauer, Sylvi Knöhr Wyatt, Doris Berg Nye, Vilma Schneider Ralston, Eberhard Fuhr, Heidi Gurcke Donald, Constanza Ilacqua Foran (not shown-Brad Houser) Cosponsors of the day’s events include the California Civil Liberties Public Education Project, Enemy Alien Files Consortium, San Mateo Public Library, National Japanese American Historical Society, Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project, German American Internee Coalition, San Mateo and Watsonville-Santa Cruz Chapters-Japanese American Citizens League, Peninsula Italian American Social Club, Steuben Society of America, North Peninsula Chapter of the ACLU, American Italian Historical Association—Western Regional Chapter, Los Altos Voices for Peace, Radio Goethe, William Sinclair Trust, German World Alliance, San Mateo County Times, Tricentennial Foundation, European American Issues Forum, German American Business Association, Campaign for Justice, California Ethnic Leadership Council, TRACES Center for History and Culture, German American National Congress, (“DANK”), American Muslim Voice and San Mateo Adult Community Education. Complete funding for the project was provided by the California Civil Liberties Public Education Project. |
|
| Hidden Stories of World War II Conference and Drama Night | |
|
HIDDEN STORIES OF WORLD WAR II: In 2001, a unique collaboration among the Japanese, German, and Italian communities produced the highly acclaimed photo-exhibit "The Enemy Alien Files: Hidden Stories of World War II." Over the past five years, that exhibit has traveled to dozens of locations, from Los Angeles to Chicago to Washington DC, presenting for the first time in dramatic format a photo-narrative history of the World War II Enemy Alien Internment Program, which interned over 30,000 Japanese, German, and Italian “enemy aliens,” as the alien immigrants were designated by Presidential Proclamation after Pearl Harbor. On April 28, 2007, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., the Enemy Alien Files Consortium, in collaboration with the San Mateo Public Library, will present Hidden Stories of World War II -- A Conference on Enemy Alien Restrictions and Internment. This exciting conference will be open to the public and will mark the appearance of the “Enemy Alien Files” exhibit at the San Mateo Public Library for the month of May, 2007. For the symposium, numerous writers and internment scholars will be joined by former World War II internees or their families from the Japanese, German and Italian communities. Also on April 28, 2007, at 7:30 p.m. in the Little Theater of Hillsdale High School, the Enemy Alien Files Consortium will present "Freedom Lost: Three One Act Plays on Enemy Aliens in World War II." The evening will feature three, one-act plays, by Bay Area author John Christgau, and directed by Hal Gelb, noted West Coast director, writer and dramaturg. Each play focuses on one of the three ethnic communities affected by World War II alien internment. The play “Zip” tells the true story of Eberhard “Zip” Fuhr, a 17-year-old German American who was arrested by the FBI as a "dangerous enemy alien" while in a high school classroom in Cincinnati in 1943. Fuhr eventually spent nearly five years in internment at Crystal City, Texas. “The White Line” dramatizes the fate of Italian fishermen in Santa Cruz, who had their boats seized and were forcibly relocated and separated from their only source of income. “The Master Tailor’s Wife” dramatizes the little known, shocking story of the U.S. government’s seizure of Japanese Peruvians, who were subsequently brought to internment camps in the U.S. and then used as hostages in exchange for U.S. citizens trapped in Japan. Events in this country since 9/11 have put the issues of
national security and immigrant treatment on center stage, and the
historical events explored by the "Enemy Alien Files" exhibit are more
important than ever. The “Enemy Alien Files Exhibit” and the "Freedom
Lost: Three One Act Plays on Enemy Aliens in World War II" are being
co-sponsored by several groups: California Civil Liberties Public Education Program, Enemy Alien Files Consortium, Public Library, National Japanese American Historical Society, Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project, German American Internee Coalition, San Mateo and Watsonville-Santa Cruz Chapters-Japanese American Citizens League, Peninsula Italian American Social Club, Steuben Society of America, North Peninsula Chapter of the ACLU, American Italian Historical Association—Western Regional Chapter, Los Altos Voices for Peace, Radio Goethe, William Sinclair Trust, German World Alliance, San Mateo County Times, Tricentennial Foundation, European American Issues Forum, German American Business Association, Campaign for Justice, California Ethnic Leadership Council, TRACES Center for History and Culture, and San Mateo Adult Community Education. Complete funding for the project is being provided by the California Civil Liberties Public Education Project. Additional cosponsors are invited. For additional information or to cosponsor, please contact: John Christgau, Project Director by email at Jchristgau@aol.com or the German American Internee Coalition at info@gaic.info.
Schedule Information - Hidden Stories of World War II – A Conference on Enemy
Alien Restrictions and Internment - Freedom Lost: Three One Act Plays on Enemy Aliens in
World War II - The Enemy Alien Files: Hidden Stories of World War II
Exhibit |
|
| TRACES Traveling Exhibit on Great Plains Fall 2006 Tour | |
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Traveling Exhibit Tells Unknown Story of
German-American Some disappeared under the cover of night, while others were taken during raids on their place of employment. About a third were kidnapped by U.S. agents in other countries and brought here by force. None had a lawyer, or were charged with, tried for or convicted of a war-related crime. Many were imprisoned for the duration of that global war, and for years after it ended. Suspected terrorists Inmates at Guantanamo Bay No: 15,000 German-American civilians the U.S. Government interned between 1941 and 1948. Using ten narrative panels, an NBC "Dateline" documentary and a 1945 U.S. Government color film about this story, TRACES' mobile museum-a retrofitted school bus called the BUS-eum 2-will tour seven Midwest states between Labor Day and early November 2006, with showings of this innovative exhibit in about 100 communities in Minnesota, both Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa. To view schedule: http://www.traces.org/buseum_2 _tour/tour-schedules/Great _Plains_tour_2006.html TRACES Center for History and Culture is a Midwest/WWII-history museum in downtown Saint Paul/MN's historical Landmark Center (former Federal Courts Building ). Each of its more than two dozen exhibits about Midwesterners' encounters with Germans or Austrians between 1933 and 1948 forms part of a larger mosaic, a fuller image of a war that is often misunderstood or seen in clichés. At TRACES, WWII is a case study from which to learn today. The main goals of this mobile exhibit include presenting an unknown history to a wide audience, stimulating penetrating questions on the part of visitors to the exhibit and then leading them to open discussion. It explores a virtually unknown yet significant historical event-possibly one of the U.S. 's least-known WWII sub-chapters. Especially relevant as the Midwest served as the site of 16 German-American internment camps or detention centers, communities across the region will have an opportunity-in most cases for the first time-to discuss the legacy as well as implications of the U.S. Government's WWII "enemy alien" internment program. At select showings former internees or their children will appear as guest speakers and share what internment meant to them and their families. At all showings related print and electronic documentation will be available for purchase. A "community conversation" will accompany many of the BUS-eum 2 showings: in addition to welcoming community members to see the BUS's ten narrative panels and view two films about this internment, some participating hosts will hold a panel-led open discussion about this topic. Host-selected local leaders (educators, clergy, journalists, public officials, military officials, students, business people, etc.) will discuss the following or other "guiding questions": -Are ethnic background or ideology justifiable grounds for internment (in other words, imprisoning suspects for who they are or what they believe, as opposed to their actions) -Does society "owe" due process only to citizens, or also to legal non-citizen residents -During WWII the U.S. Government forcibly removed 4,058 Latin American Germans from South America to camps in Texas , at Ellis Island and elsewhere [just as it also interned 2,200 Peruvian Japanese alongside indigenous Japanese Americans]: what are some of this action's legal and moral implications Was this action effective -"Enemy-alien" internment was a multi-million-dollar, seven-year U.S. Government project: was it effective (i.e., did it reach its intended aims) or not What other actions might have been taken, rather than to intern some 150,000 Japanese, Italian and German Americans -Both camp staff and many of those interned were sworn to secrecy. In 1988 the U.S. Government acknowledged that it had interned Japanese Americans during WWII, and in 2000 it admitted that it also had imprisoned Italian Americans; to date, however, it has never confessed to having interned German Americans. To what extent, for how long, is a government accountable for its actions Does it "owe" reparations to those wrongfully harmed If so, in what form Through this project, Midwesterners will see WWII history in a new way, and "re-visit" an event and a period often overly-simplified and obscured by bravado. The community conversations are meant to support democratic involvement and processes. (Early arrival is encouraged, as the tour is tightly scheduled and showings will begin and end promptly at the times indicated. TRACES seeks volunteers in each community along the route, to help make each stop as effective as possible: would-be volunteers should contact the local hosts in a given town, or TRACES directly.) To confirm the BUS-eum's itinerary or learn more this exhibit, see www.TRACES.org. The exhibit's texts and photos of the exhibit can be previewed at that web site; reading the narrative in advance facilitates speedier visitor flow in the BUS. Educators are welcome to utilize the teaching materials also posted on the same web site.
|
|
| July 30 Release Party for AWRIC Report & DVD | |
|
Release Party for Assembly on Wartime Relocation and
Internment
of Civilians (AWRIC) Report & DVD Info and RSVP to NJAHS at 415.921.5007 njahs@njahs.org On July 30, 2006, at the Oakland Museum, delegates from the Assembly on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (AWRIC) will discuss their trip to Washington DC, where they delivered a new report - HERE IN AMERICA Immigrants as "The Enemy" During WWII and Today - to the U.S. Congress. The report and accompanying DVD, now available to the public, document an event held last year and provide little-known information about the WWII Enemy Alien Program and its relevance for all Americans today. The Assembly featured testimonies of Japanese, German, Italian and Latin American families affected by World War II policies and of Arab, Muslim and South Asian Americans caught up in the "war on terror" since 9/11. It was an emotional, powerful two days of stories, some told publicly for the first time. Though separated by sixty years, the stories shared many similar elements: immigrants arrested and detained without charges, trials or access to attorneys, interned for years or deported into war zones. Click here for printable flyer |
|
| GAIC Receives California Civil Liberties Education Project Grant | |
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The German American Internee Coalition (GAIC) has been advised by the California Civil Liberties Education Project (CCLPEP) that it has been awarded a $10,000 grant. The GAIC will use the grant to develop a multicultural curriculum package with lesson plans focused on World War II alien enemy issues. Speaking on behalf of the GAIC, co-founder Heidi Donald said today, "This is a huge step forward in our efforts to promote public awareness of the tragic history of the World War II enemy alien internment program." The curriculum packages will include three Reader's Theater one-act dramas, suitable for classroom performance. The first of the dramas was written by John Christgau, author of Enemies. Entitled ZIP, it is based on the internment experiences of former Crystal City internee Eberhard Fuhr. It will be presented on June 10th at Manzanar National Historic Site in California. The Manzanar program will also feature opening ceremonies for a summer-long appearance of the photo-exhibit "The Enemy Alien Files: Hidden Stories of World War II." The exhibit and opening events at Manzanar are a collaborative effort of the German American Internee Coalition, the National Park Service, the National Japanese American Historical Society, the Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project, and the Enemy Alien Files Consortium. Click here for printable press release |
|
| Manzanar Hosts Special Events June 10 & 11 to Launch Enemy Alien Files Exhibit | |
|
Manzanar National Historic Site News Release From June 10 to August 25, 2006, Manzanar National Historic Site will host the "Enemy Alien Files, Hidden Stories of World War II" traveling exhibit which powerfully depicts the U.S. Government's World War II policies that led to the arrest and internment of thousands of German, Japanese and Italian residents of the United States and Latin America. While Manzanar's permanent exhibits focus on the internment of Japanese Americans in War Relocation Centers, the Enemy Alien Files exhibit examines the Alien Enemy Control program (AEC) that resulted in the round-up and imprisonment of more than 31,000 German, Italian, and Japanese Americans and Latin Americans and their families. On Saturday, June 10 at 11:00 a.m., renowned authors John Christgau (Enemies) and Stephen Fox (Fear Itself) will present a 90 minute program on the AEC. Karen Ebel, Esq., co-founder of the German American Internee Coalition will highlight current legislative efforts to achieve governmental review of the AEC program. Manzanar History Association will host a book signing with authors Stephen Fox, John Christgau and Ursula Potter from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday. At 2:30 p.m. Grace Shimizu, director of the Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project, will join a panel discussion that focuses on the secretive Latin American program that forcibly brought German, Japanese, and Italian Latin Americans to the U.S. for internment during World War II. Former internees and their family members will tell their stories and share historic letters, photographs, documents and artifacts. At 7:00 p.m. Saturday, John Christgau will debut his performance of "Zip," the gripping true story of a 17 year old German American boy's experiences as an enemy alien. The performance will be presented along with a panel discussion and followed by a Question and Answer session and book signing. On Sunday June 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., several of the featured guests will be available to meet visitors, answer questions and share movies and artifacts. The exhibit and opening events are a collaborative effort of the National Park Service, the German American Internee Coalition, the National Japanese American Historical Society, the Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project, and the Enemy Alien Files Consortium. All events are free and open to the public. For further information, please call Manzanar National Historic Site at (760) 878-2194 ext.2710 or visit the following websites: Manzanar |
|
| Traces Museum for History and Culture -- a permanent exhibit about German Americans | |
|
Landmark Center, 75 W. Fifth St., Suite 211, St. Paul, MN. Call 651-292-8700 or visit www.traces.org Traces and its director, Michael Luick-Thrams, has created the first and only permanent exhibit on the internment of German Americans and Latin Americans: VANISHED – German American Civilian Internment 1941 – 1948. The museum opened in St. Paul on October 16, 2005 as part of the Traces History Marathon. Traces also has created a mobile exhibit on German internment which will be touring in the Midwest, initially in Wisconsin during March and April. For more information click here Information excerpted from an article by Alex Friedrich in the Pioneer Press reviewing the Traces Museum |
|
