On December 7, 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, escalating pre-existing racist views towards Japanese immigrants and Japanese American citizens. The “yellow peril” concept, accusing Japanese Americans of threatening the “white race”, led to restrictive immigration, naturalization, and property ownership laws. On February 19, 1942, Executive Order 9066 tore 122,000 Japanese Americans, including 55 University of the Pacific students, from the lives they knew. Their stories enlighten us about this tragedy and the strength needed to endure it.
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