[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2442 Engrossed in House (EH)]
1st Session
H. R. 2442
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To provide for the preparation of a Government report detailing
injustices suffered by Italian Americans during World War II, and a
formal acknowledgment of such injustices by the President.
106th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2442
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To provide for the preparation of a Government report detailing
injustices suffered by Italian Americans during World War II, and a
formal acknowledgment of such injustices by the President.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Wartime Violation of Italian
American Civil Liberties Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The freedom of more than 600,000 Italian-born
immigrants in the United States and their families was
restricted during World War II by Government measures that
branded them ``enemy aliens'' and included carrying
identification cards, travel restrictions, and seizure of
personal property.
(2) During World War II more than 10,000 Italian Americans
living on the West Coast were forced to leave their homes and
prohibited from entering coastal zones. More than 50,000 were
subjected to curfews.
(3) During World War II thousands of Italian American
immigrants were arrested, and hundreds were interned in
military camps.
(4) Hundreds of thousands of Italian Americans performed
exemplary service and thousands sacrificed their lives in
defense of the United States.
(5) At the time, Italians were the largest foreign-born
group in the United States, and today are the fifth largest
immigrant group in the United States, numbering approximately
15 million.
(6) The impact of the wartime experience was devastating to
Italian American communities in the United States, and its
effects are still being felt.
(7) A deliberate policy kept these measures from the public
during the war. Even 50 years later much information is still
classified, the full story remains unknown to the public, and
it has never been acknowledged in any official capacity by the
United States Government.
SEC. 3. REPORT.
The Inspector General of the Department of Justice shall conduct a
comprehensive review of the treatment by the United States Government
of Italian Americans during World War II, and not later than one year
after the date of the enactment of this Act shall submit to the
Congress a report that documents the findings of such review. The
report shall cover the period between September 1, 1939, and December
31, 1945, and shall include the following:
(1) The names of all Italian Americans who were taken into
custody in the initial roundup following the attack on Pearl
Harbor, and prior to the United States declaration of war
against Italy.
(2) The names of all Italian Americans who were taken into
custody.
(3) The names of all Italian Americans who were interned
and the location where they were interned.
(4) The names of all Italian Americans who were ordered to
move out of designated areas under the United States Army's
``Individual Exclusion Program''.
(5) The names of all Italian Americans who were arrested
for curfew, contraband, or other violations under the authority
of Executive Order No. 9066.
(6) Documentation of Federal Bureau of Investigation raids
on the homes of Italian Americans.
(7) A list of ports from which Italian American fishermen
were restricted.
(8) The names of Italian American fishermen who were
prevented from fishing in prohibited zones and therefore unable
to pursue their livelihoods.
(9) The names of Italian Americans whose boats were
confiscated.
(10) The names of Italian American railroad workers who
were prevented from working in prohibited zones.
(11) A list of all civil liberties infringements suffered
by Italian Americans during World War II, as a result of
Executive Order No. 9066, including internment, hearings
without benefit of counsel, illegal searches and seizures,
travel restrictions, enemy alien registration requirements,
employment restrictions, confiscation of property, and forced
evacuation from homes.
(12) An explanation of why some Italian Americans were
subjected to civil liberties infringements, as a result of
Executive Order No. 9066, while other Italian Americans were
not.
(13) A review of the wartime restrictions on Italian
Americans to determine how civil liberties can be better
protected during national emergencies.
SEC. 4. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.
It is the sense of the Congress that--
(1) the story of the treatment of Italian Americans during
World War II needs to be told in order to acknowledge that
these events happened, to remember those whose lives were
unjustly disrupted and whose freedoms were violated, to help
repair the damage to the Italian American community, and to
discourage the occurrence of similar injustices and violations
of civil liberties in the future;
(2) Federal agencies, including the Department of Education
and the National Endowment for the Humanities, should support
projects such as--
(A) conferences, seminars, and lectures to heighten
awareness of this unfortunate chapter in our Nation's
history;
(B) the refurbishment of and payment of all
expenses associated with the traveling exhibit ``Una
Storia Segreta'', exhibited at major cultural and
educational institutions throughout the United States;
and
(C) documentaries to allow this issue to be
presented to the American public to raise its
awareness;
(3) an independent, volunteer advisory committee should be
established comprised of representatives of Italian American
organizations, historians, and other interested individuals to
assist in the compilation, research, and dissemination of
information concerning the treatment of Italian Americans; and
(4) after completion of the report required by this Act,
financial support should be provided for the education of the
American public through the production of a documentary film
suited for public broadcast.
SEC. 5. FORMAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
The President shall, on behalf of the United States Government,
formally acknowledge that these events during World War II represented
a fundamental injustice against Italian Americans.
Passed the House of Representatives November 10, 1999.
Attest:
Clerk.