About Us
The German American Internee Coalition (“GAIC”) was formed in 2005 by and for German American and Latin American citizens and legal residents who were interned by the United States during World War II. We are former internees, or their families and friends. We come from all walks of life and from countries around the world. We would like you to know our story. GAIC is a nonprofit corporation registered with the New Hampshire Department of Charitable Trusts.
Our Mission Statement & Goals
GAIC is dedicated to making public the little known United States World War II policies that led to internment, repatriation and exchange of civilians of German ethnicity, both in the United States and Latin America.
- We will educate the general public about the U.S. government’s detention and internment of over 11,000 German American and Latin American citizens and residents during World War II.
- We will reach out to former internees, their families and supporters. We will gather their stories, share information, and support their efforts to make their stories known.
- We will seek full U.S. government review and acknowledgment of the civil rights violations endured by the German American and Latin American communities.
- We will work collaboratively with other internee groups who have similar purposes. As we work toward these goals, we also hope that our efforts result in better protection of the civil liberties of future vulnerable ethnic groups.
In February 2017 we became concerned by the then President and his administration’s actions regarding immigrants. Our concerns have deepened. On March 15, 2025, President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, stating that an “invasion” by a Venezuelan gang made it necessary. This allowed the administration to treat some immigrants as alien enemies, stripping them of their rights, rounding them up and deporting them to El Salvador. The Alien Enemies Act, designed for wartime use against foreign adversaries, has no place in modern immigration policy. It is time for it’s repeal. Read our statement of condemnation.
What’s New?
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Issues Day of Remembrance Letter
On February 4, 2009, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) issued its annual Day of Remembrance letter to Day of Remembrance participants. The concluding paragraph of the letter states: It has been over two decades since the enactment of the Civil...
National Day of Rememberance
Home Events History Internment Camps Real People Resources ContactThe first federal legislation to pass which specifically mentioned the internment of German Americans and Latin Americans was introduced by Rep. Mike Honda as House Resolution 56. It passed in March...
Las Posesiones
Alvarado Quesada, Carlos. Las Posesiones. San José, Costa Rica: Editorial Uruk, April 2012. (a novel) Las Posesiones takes place at a time following the entry of the United States in World War II, when governments of several Latin American countries, including Costa...
Costa Rica en la Segunda Guerra Mundial (1939-1945)
Calvo Gamboa, Carlos. Costa Rica en la Segunda Guerra Mundial (1939-1945). San José, Costa Rica: Editorial Universidad Estatal A Distancia, 1985. Find it online
Ft. Meade guard tower. Image from sketch by German internee Paul Lameyer, courtesy of his grandson, Randy Houser.
History
