Kubota Garden Foundation Remembers Executive Order 9066

On Feb. 19, 1942, after the Japanese military bombed Pearl Harbor, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, giving the secretary of war and all military branches the power to exclude people deemed a threat to national security from all militarily sensitive areas. Implementation of this order, left up to the secretary and military commanders, deemed the entire West Coast of the U.S. as "militarily sensitive." As a result, all people of Japanese descent living in the western U.S., even American citizens, were forced out of their homes and into concentration camps for the duration of WWII.

Fujitaro Kubota and his family had experienced xenophobia many times, but nothing as drastic as this forced relocation away from land he had cultivated and relied on for his family's existence. This video, produced by the Kubota Garden Foundation with resources from Densho, tells the story of just one family's determination, loyalty, and resilience. If you have visited Kubota Garden, this video will introduce you to its namesake, the family whose spirit permeates it.