Dear Grace

Dear Grace
Each of these eight sections erases the same single-page document, Assistant Attorney General James Rowe, Jr.’s memorandum to President Roosevelt’s secretary, Grace Tully, dated February 2, 1942. Rowe recommends that Roosevelt take action on the “Japanese situation in California,” which Roosevelt did sixteen days later by signing Executive order 9066, setting in motion the forced relocation and internment of more than 100,000 American citizens of Japanese descent. Meanwhile, 33,000 Japanese-American soldiers served in both Europe and the Pacific. Segregated Japanese-American units fought in North Africa and Italy, and liberated labor camp prisoners at Dachau. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in U.S. military history. Japanese-Americans were not permitted in combat in the Pacific theater, but approximately 6,000 served in the Military Intelligence Service as linguists, interpreters, and interrogators. Original text: page 7 of this pdf.