"And Then They Came For Us" (2017, NR, 40 mins)

Documentary Screening & Discussion

"And Then They Came For Us" demonstrates the civil rights violations against persons of Japanese ancestry during WWII in America, and how history is repeating the pattern against Muslims post-9/11.

As the documentary demonstrates, the registration and incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII by Executive Order 9066 was one of the worst violations of constitutional rights in American history. The U.S. government lied about the threat of espionage to justify the incarceration, yet not a single person who was incarcerated was ever convicted of espionage or treason. Through the use of newly released photos taken by Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams and others, plus the eyewitness testimony from incarcerated survivors such as George Takei and Fred Korematsu, the film exposes the damage Executive Order 9066 did to 120,000 people of Japanese descent who were forcibly removed from their homes along the U.S. Pacific Coast, two-thirds of whom were American-born citizens.

After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, persons of Muslim ancestry are now the latest target of similar civil rights violations and racial prejudice in America. The film addresses the importance of speaking up against any efforts to register or ban Muslims today. Knowing our civil history is the first step in making sure we do not repeat such mistakes. "And Then They Came For Us" is a cautionary tale for these dark times in current society. After the film, stay for a discussion about the Japanese American evacuation and forced internment during WWII, Executive Order 9066, and parallel civil rights violations against Asians today. 

Free & open to the public. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis and may be limited. For more information, please call 702.507.3458.

Co-sponsored by Nevada Humanities. 

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