Japanese Internment Essay Research Paper The JapaneseAmerican

Japanese Internment Essay, Research Paper

The Japanese-American Internment in Topaz, Utah

For as long as mankind can remember, prejudice in one form or another has always been apparent in the world. For some, it is religion, color, or race. But, during the second world war, prejudices were directed at people whose nationalities weren t of native American blood. The Japanese-Americans were exploited and forced into relocation camps during World War II all because the American government thought of them as a threat to American society, for fear that they were conspiring with the Japanese government to try and overthrow the United States government.

In 1941, the number of Japanese Americans living in the continental Unites States totaled 127,000. Over 112,000 of them lived in the three Pacific Coast states of Oregon, Washington, and California. Of this group, nearly 80% of the total resided in the state of California alone (Uchida 47). In the over imaginative minds of the residents of California, where the antipathy towards the Asians was the most intense, the very nature of the Pearl Harbor attack provided ample-and prophetic-proof of inherent Japanese treachery (Uchida 68). As the Imperial Army chalked up success after success on the Pacific front, and also as rumors of prowling enemy subs ran rampant throughout, the West Coast atmosphere became charged with the fear that there was an impending invasion. They had an unbelievable suspicion that Japanese Americans in their midst were organized for a coordinated undermining activity (Uchida 90). For the myriad of anti-Oriental forces and the influential agriculturists who had long been casting their eyes on the coastal area of the richly cultivated Japanese land, a superb opportunity had just become theirs for the long sought after expulsion of a very unwanted minority (Uchida 91).

Since there was little known about the minority which had long kept itself

withdrawn from the larger community in fear of disapproval, it was very possible to make the American public believe anything (Christgau 13). The stereotype of the Oriental of sly intent was rekindled and exploited in such a manner that Chinese Americans began wearing I am a Chinese buttons in fear of being assaulted (Nakano 42). The tactics used in manipulating public fears were hardly different from those used to achieve the cutoff in Chinese immigration in 1882 and in bringing a halt to all Japanese immigration in 1924 (Weglyn 36).

Like the Chinese before them, the immigrant Japanese were denied the right to become American citizens. Because they lacked this right of naturalization, they could not own land (Weglyn 37). Even the leasing of land was limited by a 1913 land law to three years. But the Issei (first generation Japanese) found ways to get around such laws devised to drive the Orientals away from the California area. It was a popular practice by the Issei to purchase property in the names of their citizen offspring (Weglyn 38).

The Japanese Americans consisted of three different groups. The Issei, who were first generation Japanese, were for the most part very simple people whose age group was largely 55 to 65 years of age. The Nisei, or the second generation Japanese, in spite of the discrimination against them still showed an eagerness to become Americans.

They were in a constant conflict with the older Issei s lifestyles. They aged from 1 to 30 years old. The Sansei was the third group of Japanese. They were the Japanese babies born in America (Uchida 21).

Because of the racist naturalization laws, the Issei and other first-generation Asian Americans were not allowed to become citizens until the 1950 s (Christgau 87). Most second-generation Japanese Americans, being the Nisei, did not become old enough to vote until the 1940 s, and the World War II imprisonment was a huge setback in their struggles to participate in American politics (Christgau 88).

On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked and devastated Pearl Harbor.

Authorized by a blanket presidential warrant, the United States Attorney General Francis Biddle directed the FBI to arrest a predetermined number of enemy aliens classified as dangerous . Among the list of foreigners to be arrested, the Japanese held a place (Daniels 35). By the end of that day, 737 Japanese are in federal custody (Daniels 37).

December 8th, the United States declared war on Japan. On December 11th, 1941, there are now 1,370 Japanese classified as dangerous are detained by the FBI (Daniels 41).

By February 4, 1942, The US Army defined twelve restricted areas. These enemies must observe a curfew (9 p.m.- 6 a.m.), and are allowed only to travel to and from their workplace. Also, they are forbidden to travel any further than 5 miles from their place of residence (Daniels 44). On February 16 that same year, the California Immigration Committee urges that all Japanese be removed from the Pacific Coast and any other areas designated vital by the US government. There are more arrests of Japanese and they total 2,192 (Daniels 44). On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066. This order gives the Secretary of War the authorization to establish military areas from which all or any persons may be excluded as deemed necessary or desirable. (Daniels 46). Then on March 18, 1942, President Roosevelt again issues another