2023 Day of Remembrance: 'Let it not happen again," says Biden

Memories turn into lessons never to be repeated.

During this current time when anti-Asian hate and violence is surging, the Japanese American Day of Remembrance has become everybody's Day of Remembrance.

On Feb. 19, President Biden issued a statement that ended in, "Nidoto Nai Yoni" – to “Let It Not Happen Again” referring to the incarceration of 125,000 Japanese Americans during World War II.

"When President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, eighty-one years ago today, it ushered in one of the most shameful periods in American history" said Biden. "The wrongful incarceration of 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent tore families apart. Men, women, and children were forced to abandon their homes, their jobs, their communities, their businesses, and their way of life. 

"They were sent to inhumane concentration camps simply because of their heritage. And in a tragic miscarriage of justice, the Supreme Court upheld these immoral and unconstitutional policies," he continued.

"Despite losing liberty, security, and the fundamental freedoms that rightfully belonged to them, 33,000 Japanese Americans volunteered or were drafted for service in the U.S. military during World War II. While their own families were behind barbed wires, Japanese Americans fought in defense of the nation’s freedom with valor and courage."

In conclusion, Biden said: "The incarceration of Japanese Americans reminds us what happens when racism, fear, and xenophobia go unchecked. As we battle for the soul of our nation, we continue to combat the corrosive effects of hate on our democracy and the intergenerational trauma resulting from it. 

"We reaffirm the Federal Government’s formal apology to Japanese Americans for the suffering inflicted by these policies. And we commit to Nidoto Nai Yoni – to 'Let It Not Happen Again.'”

Observances were held across the nation, as the few remaining survivors tell their stories in the media and classrooms, this dark chapter is being told ad retold so Americans can learn how fragile their civil and human rights are and how xenophobia bubbles just under the thin veneer of civility in the Unite States. 

The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, consisting of AANHPI members of Congress and those representing large communities of AANHPI issued their statement via chair Judy Chu, D-CA:

"This Day of Remembrance continues to be significant as xenophobia and fear-mongering are once again leading to anti-Asian hate and racist policies which infringe on the civil rights of Americans. I am proud that over three decades ago, Congress passed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 to formally apologize and provide redress to Japanese Americans who were racially targeted and stripped of their rights. However, we as a nation must continue to recognize this shameful part of our country’s history to ensure that we do not repeat the mistakes of our past.”

Rep. Mark Takano, D-CA, whose grandparents were incarcerated during WWII, said: “On this Day of Remembrance, we reflect on the pain and suffering Japanese Americans endured in internment during World War II with the signing of Executive Order 9066. More than 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry, including my parents and grandparents, suffered because of unjust fear and discrimination combined with a failure of political leadership. We are a nation that celebrates diversity and equality, and we must remain committed standing as one union, free of prejudice, intolerance, and xenophobia.”

CAPAC Freshman Representative Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02) is the granddaughter of an incarceree,said: “When President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, families were torn apart, once valued community members were shunned and subject to rampant xenophobia and racism, and hardworking business owners and workers saw their life's work and everything they owned taken away from them.

"Generations later, the shameful forced removal and incarceration of over 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry lives on as a painful reminder of how fragile our civil liberties are in times of crisis, and how steadfast we must be to stand up and protect them. As the great granddaughter of an internee, I join my fellow AANHPI brothers and sisters in calling for this Day of Remembrance to serve as a moment of reflection as we band together to ensure these atrocities never happen again,” she said.

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