JANM Supports the Neighbors Not Enemies Act

Editors please note: JANM’s Pavilion is closed for renovation; programs will continue on the JANM campus and at other locations at janm.org/OnTheGo. 

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) supports the Neighbors Not Enemies Act, which will be reintroduced early in the 119th Congress. This bill would repeal the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which was used to intern 31,000 noncitizens of Japanese, German, and Italian descent during World War II.

“Support for this bill is important to acknowledging the grave harm done to those former internees, helping to ensure that no other group is similarly targeted in the future, and to fighting future anti-immigration policies, including proposals to target Mexican, Salvadoran, and Venezuelan immigrants for mass deportation. It also raises awareness about the experiences of Japanese, German, and Italian internees and expands the historical narrative of US incarceration during World War II on a national level for future generations. We hope that this bill can be passed in both chambers of Congress,” said Ann Burroughs, JANM President and CEO and the chair of the Japanese American Confinement Sites Consortium.

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