“Outstanding Book” – Gustavus Myers Center for the Study of Human Rights in the United States, 1991 “Outstanding Literary Achievement” – American Book Award, 1992Before the publication of UnCivil Liberties, few people knew that in February 1942 the U.S. government forced thousands of West Coast Italian and German aliens to relocate to so-called safe zones. Law-abiding people who had lived in the United States for decades, including some who had sons in the armed forces, were subjected to surveillance and harassment. The government eventually abandoned this relocation program, but only because the process of moving so many proved economically and politically unfeasible. Other Italians, including American citizens whose loyalty was deemed doubtful, were interned or excluded from the West Coast without trial. In UnCivil Liberties, Stephen Fox combines interviews with Italian Americans, government files and newspaper accounts to reveal this previously untold chapter in American history. The testimonies of those who were the objects of the government's unfounded suspicions and accusations provide a vivid portrait of the times and illuminate a neglected episode. Fox also connects his discussion of the Italian American experience with that of other suspected 'enemy' aliens during World War II, illustrating how a national security crisis led to the use of group labels and challenged the government's commitment to its libertarian ideals. The voices in UnCivil Liberties will speak to students, scholars and all readers interested in civil liberties.