The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“WARTIME VIOLATION OF ITALIAN AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1486 on July 1, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
WARTIME VIOLATION OF ITALIAN AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES ACT
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HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL
of new york
in the house of representatives
Thursday, July 1, 1999
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleague from New York, Congressman Lazio, to introduce the Wartime Violation of Italian American Civil Liberties Act. This legislation brings to light a tragic episode in our nation's history when Italian Americans were considered enemy aliens. The civil liberty abuses that Italian Americans suffered during this time period are not well documented and are not well known, but they did occur and the truth about this story, Una Storia Segreta--
the Secret Story, must be told.
December 7, 1941 is a date that is very well known, it is the day that the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. What is not so well known is that on that day Italian Americans became enemy aliens. FBI agents, military personnel, and local police began rounding up Italians labeled subversive and dangerous. Ironically, some of those labeled dangerous aliens had fought alongside the United States Armed Forces during World War I. Even more ironic is the fact that many Italians deemed enemy aliens had sons in the United States Armed Services fighting to protect the freedoms that were being taken away from their parents. Such is the case with Joe Ardent. Joe entered the service and did not know until he returned home that his father had been restricted, fired from his job, and considered an enemy alien.
Mr. Speaker, during World War II, 600,000 Italian Americans were classified as enemy aliens, more than 10,000 were forcibly evicted from their homes, 52,000 were subject to strict curfew regulations and hundreds were shipped to internment camps without due process. These civil liberty abuses stretched from coast to coast as California fishermen had their fishing boats confiscated and were either interned or forced to relocate, while on the east coast, Ellis Island, the world renowned symbol of freedom and democracy, became a detention center for enemy aliens. No Italian was exempt from these injustices. Ezio Pinza, the star of ``South Pacific'' and the singer of the signature hit
``Some Enchanted Evening'' was detained at Ellis Island. Pinza was accused of altering the tempo of his voice in order to send messages to the Italian government. Although these charges were clearly ludicrous, it took several high powered attorneys and two hearings to prevent him from being interned.
We must ensure that these terrible events will never be perpetrated again. We must safeguard the individual rights of all Americans from arbitrary persecution or no American will ever be secure. The least our government can do is try to right this terrible wrong by acknowledging the fact that these events did occur. To that end, this legislation calls on the Department of Justice to prepare a comprehensive report detailing the government's unjust policies and practices during this time period. Included in the report will be an examination of ways in which civil liberties can be safeguarded during times of national emergencies. This report is essential in order to ensure that our history is well documented as those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation also calls on the President, on behalf of the United States government, to formally acknowledge our government's systematic denial of basic human rights and freedoms to one of the largest ethnic communities in the United States. As we begin our Fourth of July recess, let us take this opportunity to reflect upon the debt we owe the Italian American community and ensure that the American public recognizes these injustices of the past in order to prevent them in the future. Sixty two of my colleagues have joined me in cosponsoring this bill, and I ask you Mr. Speaker, and the rest of my colleagues to support this important legislation.
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