Italian aliens who passed over designated lines or broke curfew rules in Eureka and Arcata during World War II risked getting arrested. In addition, if they happened to be living on the “wrong” side of a line, they were forced to move out of their homes. As a result, some lost their homes, jobs, freedom to visit friends and relatives and were required to remove their children from neighborhood schools. In addition, stores, movie houses and other establishments in the restricted zones were off limits.
Stephen C. Fox, professor of history at Humboldt State University, outlined the plight of resident aliens in a talk to the Humboldt County Historical Society at the group’s annual dinner meeting held February 21 at Eureka Inn. Fox, who came to the university in 1969, is writing a book on the relocation of Italian aliens in California during World War II. The book is scheduled to be published next year.
