The first part of this article is a statement outlining the atrocities against Italians during World War II. This statement is included in an exhibit called "Una Storia Segreta".

III. Enemy Alien Registration Restrictions In January of 1942 all enemy aliens were required to register at local post offices around the country. Although all resident aliens had already registered in 1940 under the Smith Act, now, as "enemy" aliens, they would be required to be fingerprinted, photographed, and to carry their photo-bearing "enemy alien registration cards" at all times. To those affected this was alarming: in retrospect it recalls the authoritarian methods of the very fascists it was meant to combat.

Then came a series of Army proclamations, some directed at all enemy aliens, some only at those on the West Coast:

Travel: No travel beyond a five-mile radius of home; longer trips require application for travel permit.

Contraband: all firearms, short-wave radios, cameras, and "signaling devices" (including flashlights) prohibited; all to be turned in or confiscated.

Curfew: enemy aliens on the West Coast confined to homes between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The impact of these restrictions was widespread and apparently unanticipated by the government. In places like Monterey, Santa Cruz, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco - where the Italians, many of them long-term residents without final citizenship papers, constituted a majority of the fisherman, scavengers, restaurant workers and janitors - the restrictions created serious employment and food-supply problems. The impact on personal lives can only be suggested. Because of the travel restrictions, mothers could not visit their children in hospitals if they were more than five miles away. Families could not attend a relative's funeral. No aliens could make a trip to visit distant friends or relatives, not even to visit their own sons in uniform at military installations.

For the fishermen, the regulations seemed arbitrary at best, foolish or cruel at worst. In Pittsburgh, the inland fishermen were classed as an exempt industry and so were allowed to fish. However, Monterey fishermen (and all those who fished the Pacific Ocean) not only could not go out on their boats, but several had their large purse seines confiscated by the Coast Guard for patrol duty. Giuseppe Spadaro's "Marettimo" was returned to him in such poor condition that he could never us it again.

In the West, the curfew caused fear, suspicion and worse. Those picked up for violations were left to wonder if a neighbor had informed on them. Animosities festered and lingered. The legacy of all this is hard to calculate, but one thing seems evident; arresting a truck farmer unable to complete his delivery run by 8 p.m. probably did little to help security, but did much to destroy the trust necessary for community life. And whether such a person could ever trust his government is something else again.

Here is the good part that all Italians now have in their favor. It is a success story that could happen when enough support is given by various communities, especially the community of Italians and their organization who fought to bring about a favorable conclusion.

"The Wartime Violations of Italian-American Civil Liberties Act" was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on November 10, 1999. Attention will be given to the mass violation of the civil rights of Italian immigrants in the United States during World War II. It will be the Justice Department's responsibility to conduct an investigation regarding the obvious abuses that occurred.

What has to be remembered is that before and during World War II, the Italians were the largest immigrant group in the U.S. Fortunately, President Roosevelt did not agree with General Whit, whose idea it was to intern all Japanese, German, and Italian immigrants, even those who were citizens. Can you imagine millions of Italians, including Mayor Rosse of San Francisco, being interned in camps for the duration of the war?

The final decision was to place more than 3,000 Italians into internment camps. Included were Italian newspaper and radio personnel as well as others in the field of communication. Also affected were fishermen who owned boats and many individuals who were unfairly under suspicion.

Those prisoners of war were interned in various locations throughout the United States, but primarily in Missoula, Montana, and Crystal City, Texas.

Several Japanese in San Jose who were in the Crystal City internment camp told me that they were integrated with Germs and Italians.

More than 600,000 non-citizen Italians were placed under house arrest, which included travel restrictions limited to five miles in any direction from their homes; curfews that in some cases had them go indoors at sunset; confiscation of short-wave radio components and any item that could send signals, such as flashlights and black-out curtains, carrying of ID cards, and reporting to a local federal government office every several weeks.

My own mother-in-law had just six weeks of citizenship classes to complete before earning her citizenship status, and she was not allowed to complete the classes. She and other Italians in the class were advised not to speak Italian in public.

Unfortunately, many Italians, fearing further action by the federal government, changed their names to avoid the loss of jobs and to prevent hostility.

This great tragedy extended into education after the war. No American history book written after World War II has any mention of German and Italian internment during the war. History book authors were simply influenced by federal government officials. even the Justice Department until 1993 was denying that these atrocities had taken place.

Historic records will show that while all of this was taking place, 500,000 young Italian boys were serving in the U.S. armed forces. If they came from families living along the California coast, they discovered, while on furlough, that their families had been forced to abandon their houses and move inland 10 to 15 miles.

It was also one of these Italian boys who was the first service man to receive the Medal of Honor in World War II.

When we had the Italian Internment Exhibit, "Una Storia Segreta", on view in San Jose, California, in 1994, we had invited history teachers from all schools, including the universities in Santa Clara County. None of the history professors from Stanford, Santa Clara, or San Jose State knew of these events.

The exhibit originated in Oakland under the direction of Professor Larry Di Stassi. Its second showing was in San Jose. We made some visual effects improvements and contributed photos and newspaper articles form our personal collection.

This exhibit will eventually be displayed in an Italian Cultural Center being planned by the Italian Task Force for the State of California.

New developments will be reported as they occur.