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Japanese in America

Japanese in America. In the 1880s, came to West Coast to work Issei = 1st Japanese immigrant generation Federal law prohibited Issei from becoming naturalized American citizens Illegal for Issei to own agricultural land in California. Nisei. Nisei = 2nd generation Japanese

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Japanese in America

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  1. Japanese in America • In the 1880s, came to West Coast to work • Issei = 1st Japanese immigrant generation • Federal law prohibited Issei from becoming naturalized American citizens • Illegal for Issei to own agricultural land in California

  2. Nisei • Nisei = 2nd generation Japanese • Automatically American citizens • Attended public school and college, spoke English, worked, and voted in elections • Thought of themselves as “Americans” • In 1940, 127,000 persons of Japanese ancestry lived in U.S. • 63 percent were Nisei

  3. Reaction to Pearl Harbor • California barbershop: “free shaves for Japs—not responsible for accidents” • Governor of Idaho: “A good solution to the Jap problem would be to send them all back to Japan, then sink the island. They live like rats, breed like rats, and act like rats.”

  4. General John L. DeWitt • Responsible for the defense of the West Coast • False rumors spread about preparations for a Japanese invasion • Believed Japanese could not be trusted • DeWitt: Lack of sabotage on the West Coast only proved that they were waiting for a Japanese invasion to begin

  5. Relocation Plan • DeWitt develops plan to remove all Japanese and lock them in prison camps • The Justice Department, FBI and Army Intelligence all concluded that such a drastic action was not necessary • FDR accepted General DeWitt’s recommendation

  6. Executive Order 9066 • Signed by FDR on February 9, 1942 • Gave DeWitt authority to order the mass evacuation of Issei and Nisei from West Coast • Affected 120,000 Japanese-Americans • “for protection against espionage and against sabotage.” • Congress made it a crime to refuse to leave a military area

  7. March 2, 1942 • DeWitt issued orders requiring all persons of Japanese ancestry in 8 western states to report to temporary assembly centers • Transported to permanent “relocation centers” • They would remain there for up to four years

  8. Evacuation • Families usually had only a few days to sell their homes, businesses, vehicles and property • Almost all cooperated, believing that by doing so they proved their loyalty • 60 percent evacuated were U.S. citizens • None had a hearing or trial • Once in the camps, were required to sign a “loyalty oath”

  9. The Internment Camps

  10. Amache (Granada)

  11. Manzanar Today(well…the summer of 2008)

  12. Camp Conditions • Army barracks—little or no privacy • Plenty of food—nobody starved • Encouraged to make as normal a life as possible • Could set up communities in the camps: shops, religious centers, schools, theater

  13. Korematsu v. United StatesHirabayashi v. United States • Read and Write: • 1. What are the basic facts of the case? • 2. What are the constitutional issues involved? • 3. What was the ruling (the vote) and the reasons given for the vote? Did anyone dissent? What did they say? • 4. What was the significance of the case?

  14. Results • By the time the evacuation was complete, the U.S. was already in command of the Pacific. Danger of possible invasion was past. • 17,600 Japanese Americans distinguished themselves fighting in the armed services for the U.S. in World War II • At the end of the war, Japanese found their property sold for taxes or storage fees and their areas overrun • About 26,000 were reimbursed for their losses at about 1/3 of the claimed value

  15. Demand for Justice • A young generation of Japanese-American students inspired by the civil rights movement started the “Redress Movement” to seek justice for their parents and grandparents • President Gerald Ford in 1978 called Japanese Internment a “national mistake” • In 1978 the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) asked for • 1. $25,000 for each person who was detained • 2. A formal apology from Congress • 3. Release of funds to set up educational foundation for Japanese Americans

  16. Justice Delayed • President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which provided $20,000 for each former detainee (total of $1.2 billion dollars).

  17. Apology • In 1992, President George H.W. Bush signed an amendment to the Civil Liberties Act which gave an additional $400,000 to remaining detainees • He also wrote an apology letter.

  18. Ponder This… • An internment like that of Japanese Americans during World War II could never happen again in the United States. • YES or NO?

  19. Prompt • Was the internment of the Japanese during World War II justified? Present at least three pieces of evidence from class discussions, your knowledge of U.S. history or the U.S. Constitution to support your position.

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