Evacuation:Evacuation:Japanese InternmentJapanese Internment

(www.usatoday.com)

Pearl Harbor’s Impact on the Pearl Harbor’s Impact on the JapaneseJapanese

Anti-Japanese sentiments existed in the Anti-Japanese sentiments existed in the United States for several decades prior to United States for several decades prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. the attack on Pearl Harbor.

On December 7, 1941, the United States On December 7, 1941, the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor was attacked naval base at Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan, resulting in the U.S. entry into by Japan, resulting in the U.S. entry into WWII. WWII.

During that time, more than 119,000 During that time, more than 119,000 people of Japanese ancestry, two-thirds of people of Japanese ancestry, two-thirds of them American citizens, were living in them American citizens, were living in California, Washington, and Oregon. California, Washington, and Oregon.

Executive Order 9066Executive Order 9066 President Franklin D. President Franklin D.

Roosevelt signed Roosevelt signed Executive Order No. Executive Order No. 9066 in February of 9066 in February of 1942. 1942.

Executive Order No. Executive Order No. 9066 empowered the 9066 empowered the U.S. Army to designate U.S. Army to designate areas from which "any areas from which "any or all persons may be or all persons may be excluded." excluded."

The attack of Pearl The attack of Pearl Harbor shocked the Harbor shocked the American public, American public, resulting in widespread resulting in widespread hysteria and paranoia. hysteria and paranoia.

Those of Japanese Those of Japanese ancestry living on ancestry living on the West Coast the West Coast were to be were to be relocatedrelocated..

More than More than 112,000 were 112,000 were forced to forced to “relocation “relocation centers”.centers”.

March 24, March 24, 19421942

The first The first Civilian Civilian Exclusion Exclusion Order issued Order issued by the Armyby the Army

(www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/od9066ph.html)

Fear of disloyalty on the Fear of disloyalty on the part of any Issei or Nisei part of any Issei or Nisei was common.was common.– Issei: Issei: those born in those born in

Japan, regarded by the Japan, regarded by the U.S. government as U.S. government as ineligible for U.S. ineligible for U.S. citizenship.citizenship.

– Nisei: Nisei: those born in the those born in the US to Japanese parents, US to Japanese parents, thus U.S. citizens.thus U.S. citizens.

1/3 of the population of 1/3 of the population of Hawaii was comprised of Hawaii was comprised of those of Japanese descent. those of Japanese descent. Many of them were not Many of them were not interned, however the interned, however the islands were placed under islands were placed under martial law. martial law.

http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/images/photodb/23-0307a.gifHousing in a Japanese Relocation camp 

http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/images/photodb/23-0306a.gifJapanese near trains during Relocation 

Internment Internment Japanese assets Japanese assets

were frozen after were frozen after the attack on Pearl the attack on Pearl Harbor, making it Harbor, making it difficult for many difficult for many Japanese Japanese Americans to move Americans to move from the West from the West Coast. Coast.

http://www.bookmice.net/darkchilde/japan/japan/map4.jpghttp://www.bookmice.net/darkchilde/japan/japan/map4.jpg

Japanese Internment Camp LocationsJapanese Internment Camp Locations

War Relocation Authority(WRA) War Relocation Authority(WRA) CentersCenters

Elsewhere in the Elsewhere in the HemisphereHemisphere

Canada carried out its own mass Canada carried out its own mass evacuation of both citizens and evacuation of both citizens and aliens.aliens.

22,000 residents with Japanese 22,000 residents with Japanese ancestry lived in British Columbia; ¾ ancestry lived in British Columbia; ¾ of them held Canadian citizenship.of them held Canadian citizenship.

At the end of the war, thousands of At the end of the war, thousands of Japanese Canadians were deported*Japanese Canadians were deported*

Latin AmericaLatin America

BrazilBrazil left its 250,000 Japanese left its 250,000 Japanese residents alone.residents alone.

MexicoMexico created a 62 mile zone created a 62 mile zone around its coasts and borders- All around its coasts and borders- All Japanese were removed from this Japanese were removed from this area.area.

PeruPeru sent 1,800 Japanese residents sent 1,800 Japanese residents to detention camps in Texas and to detention camps in Texas and confiscated businesses that belonged confiscated businesses that belonged to Japanese residents.to Japanese residents.

Alberto FujimoriAlberto Fujimori

After WWII the Japanese Peruvians in After WWII the Japanese Peruvians in Texas were threatened with Texas were threatened with deportation to Japan because they deportation to Japan because they had entered the US without proper had entered the US without proper visas and Peru refused to readmit visas and Peru refused to readmit them.them.

Half a century later (in 1990) the Half a century later (in 1990) the people of Peru elected Alberto people of Peru elected Alberto Fujimori to be their president ;)Fujimori to be their president ;)

Joseph Yoshisuke Kurihara Joseph Yoshisuke Kurihara speaking of the Terminal Island speaking of the Terminal Island

evacuationevacuation "It was really cruel and harsh. To pack "It was really cruel and harsh. To pack

and evacuate in forty-eight hours was and evacuate in forty-eight hours was an impossibility. Seeing mothers an impossibility. Seeing mothers completely bewildered with children completely bewildered with children crying from want and peddlers taking crying from want and peddlers taking advantage and offering prices next to advantage and offering prices next to robbery made me feel like murdering robbery made me feel like murdering those responsible without the those responsible without the slightest compunction in my heart."slightest compunction in my heart.".  .  

from Children of the from Children of the CampsCamps

"I remember the soldiers marching "I remember the soldiers marching us to the Army tank and I looked at us to the Army tank and I looked at their rifles and I was just terrified their rifles and I was just terrified because I could see this long knife at because I could see this long knife at the end . . . I thought I was imagining the end . . . I thought I was imagining it as an adult much later . . . I it as an adult much later . . . I thought it couldn't have been thought it couldn't have been bayonets because we were just little bayonets because we were just little kids." kids." 

Life in Internment CampsLife in Internment Camps "In the detention "In the detention

centers, families centers, families lived in substandard lived in substandard housing, had housing, had inadequate nutrition inadequate nutrition and health care, and and health care, and had their livelihoods had their livelihoods destroyed: many destroyed: many continued to suffer continued to suffer psychologically long psychologically long after their release" after their release" (http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/history(http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/history/index.html)/index.html)

(www.trumanlibrary.org/.../20-2311a.htm)

"In desert camps, "In desert camps, the evacuees met the evacuees met severe extremes of severe extremes of temperature. In temperature. In winter it reached 35 winter it reached 35 degrees below zero, degrees below zero, and summer brought and summer brought temperatures as temperatures as high as 115 degrees. high as 115 degrees. Rattlesnakes and Rattlesnakes and desert wildlife added desert wildlife added danger to danger to discomfort."discomfort."

(http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/history/(http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/history/camps.html)camps.html)

(http://www.nps.gov/manz/hrs/hrst.htm)

In 1988, Congress implemented the Civil In 1988, Congress implemented the Civil Liberties Act, apologizing on behalf of the Liberties Act, apologizing on behalf of the nation for the "grave injustice" done to nation for the "grave injustice" done to persons of Japanese ancestry. Congress persons of Japanese ancestry. Congress declared that the internments had been declared that the internments had been "motivated largely by racial prejudice, "motivated largely by racial prejudice, wartime hysteria, and a failure of political wartime hysteria, and a failure of political leadership" and authorized $20,000 leadership" and authorized $20,000 payments to Japanese Americans who had payments to Japanese Americans who had suffered injustices during World War II. suffered injustices during World War II.

(http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aamhtml/aamabout.html)(http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aamhtml/aamabout.html)

Issues to considerIssues to consider

1. After the 9/11 attacks, should the 1. After the 9/11 attacks, should the government have detained people of government have detained people of Arab heritage or Muslim belief? Arab heritage or Muslim belief?

2. Are there circumstances that 2. Are there circumstances that would make your response different? would make your response different? For example, if the person was not a For example, if the person was not a citizen, if his or her parents were not citizen, if his or her parents were not citizens, or if the person belonged to citizens, or if the person belonged to a radical political group, etc.?a radical political group, etc.?

3. What alternatives to Japanese-3. What alternatives to Japanese-American relocation camps do you American relocation camps do you think President Roosevelt should think President Roosevelt should have tried?have tried?

4. Could you ever see internment of 4. Could you ever see internment of a minority group in the United States a minority group in the United States again?again?