In the days following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the FBI rounded up thousands of Japanese immigrants who were detained without charges. Then, on February 19, 1942 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, forcing 120,000 Japanese Americans into concentration camps. The Commission on the Wartime Relocation and Incarceration of Civilians concluded that this action was a result of “race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.”

The 37th Annual San Jose Day of Remembrance event takes place on the 75th anniversary ofthe signing of Executive Order 9066. The 2017 event carries the theme, "Stand Up To Hate." Hundreds of people will gather together at this annual event not only to remember the great civil liberties tragedy that occurred 75 years ago, but also to reflect on the rising tensions that are building within our communities today and what we can do to build bridges of trust, respect, and friendship.