UnCivil Liberties: Italian Americans Under Siege during World War II

'IT WAS CRAZY! WHOEVER THOUGHT UP THAT LAW HAD A SCREW LOOSE.' — Mary Tolomei FEBRUARY 1942: The federal government forces thousands of West Coast Italian and German aliens to relocate to so-called safe zones. Others of Italian ancestry, including American citizens whose loyalty to the United States is deemed doubtful, are interned or excluded from the West Coast. The author combines interviews with Italian Americans, government files and newspaper accounts to paint a vivid portrait of the times and illuminate a neglected episode. 'UnCivil Liberties' illustrates how a national security crisis challenged the government's commitment to its libertarian ideals. The voices in 'UnCivil Liberties' will speak to students, scholars and all readers interested in the challenge to civil liberties in the United States during the Second World War. 'Outstanding Book' — Gustavus Myers Center for the Study of Human Rights in the United States, 1991. 'Outstanding Literary Achievement' — American Book Award,1992.