On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the removal and incarceration of all persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast.  This date is commemorated every year by the Japanese American community as a Day of Remembrance and a reminder:  Never Again.

Courage and Compassion chronicles the small and scattered Japanese American communities that dotted the map of New Mexico in 1941 - and the challenges World War II presented to these Americans whose faces resembled the enemy's.  JACL Players pay tribute to the New Mexicans who rose above racial hatred, war hysteria, and vigilantism to extend helping hands to Japanese Americans during WWII.  Their stories have relevance today as we confront issues of citizenship, due process, and our constitutional liberties.  This program is made possible through a generous grant from the New Mexico Humanities Council.

Images courtesy of the National Archives.