Speech #1100015580

I want us to place the internment period into a broader historical context rather than just focus on the plight of the Japanese Americans during World War II. Our Nation has always battled the dueling sentiments of openness and freedom on the one hand and apprehension and fear of perceived outsiders on the other. Due to apprehension and fear when our economy took a downturn in the 1880s. the Asian community became the target of politicians looking for someone to blame. In 1882 the Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act to keep out people of all Chinese origin. During World War II. Japanese Americans were the wellknown target of the governments submission to apprehension and fear.