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JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO REVIEW THE TREATMENT OF

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice Department is seeking information concerning the treatment of Italian Americans by the United States during World War II.

The Wartime Violation of Italian American Civil Liberties Act of 2000 directs the Attorney General to conduct a comprehensive review of the treatment of Italian Americans by the federal government, and to report to Congress no later than November 7, 2001. This report will document actions taken by the United States against Italian Americans including arrests, roundups, internments, raids on private homes, confiscation and seizure of property, exclusion orders, and other restrictions. The Justice Department report will cover the period between September 1939 and December 1945.

In the Act, Congress found that the United States restricted the freedom of more than 600,000 Italian-born immigrants during World War II. More than 10,000 Italian Americans living in the West Coast were forced to leave their homes and were prohibited from entering and fishing in coastal zones, while more than 50,000 were subject to curfews. In some cases, the United States confiscated the boats of Italian-American fishermen, and prohibited Italian Americans from working on railroads in certain zones.

"The story of the treatment of Italian Americans during World War II needs to be told, to remember those whose freedoms were violated and to prevent such injustice in the future," said William Yeomans, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division.

The report will include information such as the names of Italian Americans who were arrested following the attack on Pearl Harbor, a list of ports from which Italian Americans were restricted, and documentation of federal raids on the homes of Italian Americans.

Individuals who have specific knowledge of incidents affecting Italian Americans during World War II should contact the Civil Rights Division by email at itr.report@usdoj.gov, or by writing to:

Wartime Violation of Italian American Civil Liberties