February 19, 2021 marks a tragic day in our nation's history – the 79th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066. On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed this order authorizing the incarceration of hundreds of thousands of Japanese Americans, or Americans of Asian descent. As a result, more than 100,000 men, women and children were forced from their homes and into concentration camps, called "relocation centers."

These centers were scattered across the country, forcing those evicted to travel thousands of miles from their communities. Those interned were forced into confinement, losing homes, livelihoods, and the chance of future prosperity. Upon release, they were faced with the daunting task of rebuilding their lives when the camps closed two years later. El Camino College takes this opportunity to pause and recognize the significance of February 19, now known as a Day of Remembrance, an annual commemoration against these atrocities. As a result of the increase in recent racist attacks against those of Asian heritage, El Camino College is reissuing its Statement Against Discrimination first released on June 15, 2020.