Harris. L i am the executive director here. It is very nice to see everyone out here this afternoon. Certainly we want to thank you , on behalf of all of our supporters, and we want to thank you for your support. Support of our members, trustees , and the National Archives and records administration, of which we are a part. The, an organization like humanities of new york for their vision and action grant that is the longest to be possible today. Fdr establish this library as a place not just to hold and display the materials heat generated throughout his career but also a place to study and learn about his administration and learn about the role of chief executive and about the times in which he was working. Little could he have appreciated the immense Economic Impact cities, of the ultimate war, which helped define his administration and his presidency. We take the charge very seriously, and we seek to encourage the exploration and analysis into all facets of his life, his leadership
And elsewhere. As we discuss their experiences, their trials and tribulations. What they live through the 1920s and the great depression. I mention a couple of times and we will be spending most of today discussing what happened to their children. Million plus migrants who brought children with them in the 20s and 30s, or had children who were born as american citizens and came of age in the 1930s and early 1940s and would become known as the Mexican American generation. Who would become young adults living in the United States as the nation went to war during world war ii. Selenium, japanese and fascism around the world. This is what we will be talking about this week. I want to remind you a couple of the Big Questions we have been tracing over the last several weeks, not the least of which is is considered Mexican American or american more generally. Was is awarded firstclass citizenship in American Society . This changes with these million plus migrants and their offspring. Is a tra
Available at cspan. Org or our home page or searching the video library. Each week, American History tvs reel america brings you archival films that help to tell the story of the 20th century. Feb 19th, 1942, president roosevelt issued executive order 9066, leading to forced location and internment of more than 100,000 people of japanese ancestry that lived on dhoes of the United States. It is a 10 minute office of war information film hosted and narrated by milton eisenhower, the brother of then general eisenhower. As head of the relocation authority, mr. Eisenhower indicated enforcement of the policy and while scenes of the internment camps are shown. When the japanese attacked pearl harbor, our west coast became a potential combat zone. Living in that zone were more than 100,000 persons of japanese ancestor, twothirds american citizen and onethird, aliens. We knew some were potentially dangerous and know one knew what would happen among this population if Japanese Forces tried to in
Morning. Each week, american tv sits in on a lecture with one of the college professors. You can watch it. This week, we join professor ellen wu at Indiana University where she discusses japanese internment in the United States during world war ii. This is about an hour and 15 minutes. On tuesday, we begin our discussion on the japanese american internment camps by thinking about the ways which wars function as flash points for redefining the terms of membership or belonging in the american nation. In other words, wars are these critical moments when the nation rethinks who gets to be considered or treated as members or citizens of the National Community as well as who gets excluded. Right . These are really critical times. We saw in the frantic weeks of pearl harbor, president roosevelt, members of congress and ordinary people all came to the consensus japanese americans needed to be completely excluded or shut out of that National Community. Of course, we know this was based on the u
Relocation which attempted to justify the authority and Living Conditions in the camps. Some times admitting there were problems. Their evacuations was ordered to reduce a military hazard at a time when danger of invasions was great. Twothirds are american citizens by right of birth. The rest are their japanese born parents and grandparents. They are not prisoners. They are not internees. They are merely discllocated people. The time, spring and summer of 1942. The place, ten different Relocation Centers in unsettled parts of arizona, california, idaho, wyoming, colorado and arkansas. The row Location Centers are supervised by the War Relocation Authority which assumes responsibility after they have been evacuatied and cared for b the army. The row location center, housing 7 to 18,000 people. Barracks type buildings. 12 or 14 residents buildings along with a mess hall, and recreation hall. The entire community bounded by a wire fence and guarded by military police. Symbols of the milit