May

23 2021

CBA Talks: Strangers in the Land with John Joel Culley, Ph.D

10:00AM - 11:30AM  

Congregation Beth Am
Zoom Event | Password Protected 5050 Del Mar Heights Road
San Diego, CA 92130
858.481.8454 welcome@betham.com
http://www.betham.com

Contact Susan Mualim
858.481.8454
susan@betham.com

Strangers in the Land: The U.S. Justice Department and Enemy Alien Internment from 1941 - 1945
with John Joel Culley, Ph.D.

During World War II, there were two separate civilian internment programs in the United States. The two programs had separate origins and administration. One is well-known—the indiscriminate mass removal and internment of all ethnic Japanese people. But there was an earlier internment program that has received far less attention. This program arrested and interned resident aliens of Japanese, German and Italian nationality. In early December 1941, when the U.S. entered the war against the three Axis powers—Japan, Germany and Italy—as non-citizens these individuals automatically fell into the category of “enemy aliens.” The Justice Department, through the F.B I., had previously identified, investigated, classified, cataloged and selected those who would initially be arrested immediately. John will speak about how this program came to be and how it operated.

Sponsor: Congregation Beth Am