The Unknown Internment - An Oral History of the Relocation of Italian Americans during World War II (Hardcover)

Stephen Fox unveils a forgotten chapter of the American experience in the first book to reveal the federal government's policy of internment of Italian and German nationals during World War II. From February to December 1942, approximately 10,000 California residents were relocated from their homes, and several hundred were interned. Fox presents their oral testimony as a powerful reminder of the often precarious state of civil liberties. Testimony from government officials together with a chronological historical narrative explain the decision-making, implementation and retraction of the relocation order. Government documents, newspapers and 45 interviews with relocated aliens or their surviving family members are the books' principle sources. Fox also explains why the government decided to end its round-up policy nine months after it began, and compares the experiences of Italians and Germans with the internment of Japanese Americans.