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| Executive Order No. 9066 signed by FDR which led to incarceration of almost 120, 000 Japanese Americans |
Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, anti-Japanese sentiments and paranoia spread throughout the States and as a result, 1, 200 Japanese aliens were arrested by the FBI. Executive Order No. 9066 was signed by Roosevelt to allow the creation of military exclusion areas which meant that those living in the West Coast were to be evacuated further into the country within fenced and guarded isolation areas (internment camps). 6 months after signing, "over 100,000 men, women, and children of Japanese ancestry were moved to assembly centers." The camps were later vacated but not ruled unconstitutional since they were upheld in regards to 'national security'.
In 1988, the government was forced to formally apologize and admit that the reasoning behind the decision was due to "race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership." In addition to this statement, the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 granted reparations ($20,000 each) to Japanese Americans involved in the internment and their descendants.
Also, George Takei of Star Trek was part of this and was relocated to Rohwer Internment Camp at 4 years old. See more here.
http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/archives/pdfs/internment.pdf
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/roosevelt-ushers-in-japanese-american-internment
http://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/todays-doc/?dod-date=219
http://www.densho.org/learning/spice/lesson6/6reading6.asp
This is a very interesting post! I did some more research on the internment of Japanese Americans and was surprised to find how extreme this racial prejudice was. I found that people with as little as 1/16 Japanese blood could be sent to these camps. An American colonel, Bendetsen, said that "I am determined that if they have one drop of Japanese blood in them, they must go to camp."
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this! I looked a bit more into why FDR would create these internment camps, and I learned that from 1936, President Roosevelt ordered the Office of Naval Intelligence to begin compiling a list of those who would be the first to be placed in a concentration camp should there be trouble between Japan and the United States. This shows that he was already suspicious of the Japanese years before this executive order. Even with reports that the Japanese actually had "a remarkable, even extraordinary degree of loyalty" to the US, FDR unfortunately still decided to go ahead with the internment camps.
ReplyDeleteI'm still curious to know how non-Japanese Americans felt about the internment camps though, so if anyone knows anything about this, please share!
As Josh said, there were varying opinions on these camps at the time, however most people seemed to think that they were necessary. I remember my grandfather's stories about the time (he fought exclusively in the Pacific during WWII) and he remained rather Anti-Japanese for the rest of his life. Clearly the fear at the time was great, as it hung with him until the day he died.
DeleteKathy: From what I could find, different people felt differently about the Japanese Americans and how they were treated. Many on the West Coast, especially farmers, had harbored anti-Japanese feelings ever since the immigrants started coming in large numbers. They were some of the most vocal supporters of the internment camps, citing national security reasons but often acting on economic interests. On the other hand, there were many people who were against the segregation and camps. These included Chase Clark, the Governor of Idaho, who would see thousands of Japanese Americans sent to his state by federal orders.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that even though FDR was immensely, even ridiculously popular, he made several decisions and compromises that often just slid through. He made these decisions with good purpose, though: to help the American people. However, in racial issues, I think "for the greater good" was not the necessarily the best answer. This is seen in his decision to transfer Japanese-Americans to internment camps, and in his (indirect?) compromise with Southern Democrats to not push for racial equality between colored people and white people. (Specifically in the withdrawn anti-lynching law)
ReplyDeleteJosh, thanks for replying! That makes a lot of sense. I looked into this further and found that there was already a lot of anti-Japanese sentiment even before Pearl Harbor, which is probably why it was so easy for the Japanese to be put into the internment camps. Anti-Japanese feelings have existed in the United States since the late 19th century. The atrocities the Japanese had committed, such as the Rape of Nanking in 1937, made many Americans angry. The Japanese victory against the Russians in the Russo-Japanese war also increased anti-Japanese racism in California. Like you said, there was also likely an economic incentive to confine the Japanese in the camps. All this together made it possible for the internment of the Japanese.
ReplyDeleteI just noticed your reply Daniel. Thanks for answering my question as well! I think it's really interesting to hear from people who have actually experienced these historical events, so thank you for sharing this different perspective. It must have been a tumultuous and uncertain time, so it might be understandable that your grandpa would harbor anti-Japanese feelings for the rest of his life.
DeleteGreat post Alee! I was interested in learning more about how the internment affected the Japanese. The internment camps were run by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. and guarded by Border Patrol members. The army was also involved in the detention of the prisoners. About 110,000 to 120,000 Japanese Americans were held in these prison camps and were often translocated to harsher prisons. Their houses were tar and paper-covered shacks with a simple frame. There weren't many educational opportunities for children in internment camps because people believed that it would be a short-term detention. A man named Fred Koramatsu tried the government's decision to place Japanese in internment camps in the courts, but he found very little sympathy. In the Korematsu vs. the United States case, the Supreme Courts justified the decision as a wartime necessity. It turns out that many were unable to return to their hometowns. Those who were able to found that their homes had been confiscated and redistributed by the government. They also had little, if any, possessions left over before their internment. There were over $148 million dollars in requests for material lost during the internment. They couldn't even return to Japan because people in Japan were hostile and suspicious towards Japanese Americans. Many Japanese Americans were segregated and were pressured into proving their loyalty to America. As a result, over 20,000 Japanese Americans served in the army during WWII.
ReplyDeleteSource:
http://www.ushistory.org/us/51e.asp
Hatred for immigrants from countries that we are at war with seems to be a recurring trend in history. This often comes from racism, fear and propaganda. I recall that during WW1, German immigrants who had been previously accepted were being beaten and attacked, and were depicted as mongols or barbarians by the government to improve enlistment rates. We see this even now with hatred and fear of Muslims ever since 9/11.
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