March 13, 2003

Exhibit focuses on WW II
‘enemy aliens’ in the Americas

A traveling exhibit on the experiences of “enemy aliens” traded for U.S. prisoners of war during World War II comes to California State University, Sacramento March 17 to April 25. It will be on display in the University Library.

The exhibit, “Enemy Alien Files: Hidden Stories of World War II,” shows what happened during the war to Italian, German and Japanese non-citizen immigrants in the United States and Latin America. Photographs, documents, artifacts and oral history excerpts show how they were excluded, interned and deported.

According to exhibit project coordinator Grace Shimizu, about 31,000 immigrants overall were exchanged for U.S. prisoners of war. Of those, 6,000 had been brought to the United States from Latin America.

The presentation invites viewers to consider this part of World War II in light of current domestic and international events.

On opening day, Monday, March 17, there will be a scholars forum from 1 to 5 p.m. in Library 2022 and a reception and book signing from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the third floor Exhibit Area.

A news media availability will be at noon, March 17 in Library 2022 before the scholars forum.

For more information, Kim Kuenlen at (916) 278-5954. Additional media assistance is available from CSUS public affairs at (916) 278-6156.

####