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Historical Background on Japanese American Internment and Fred Korematsu Public Domain advancingjustice-la.org aasc.ucla.edu December 7, 1941 Japan Attacked Pearl Harbor
The first Japanese immigrants came to the United States in 1843, almost 100 years before Pearl Harbor. December 7, 1941 was the attack on Pearl Harbor. Communicate to students the shock of the attack, and the U.S. entry into the World War II. You might want to question students how they felt about September 11 or how they might feel if we were attacked.What emotions would they feel?How might they want to respond? Public Domain Public Domain The first Japanese arrived in America in 1843, almost 100 years before Pearl Harbor. President Roosevelt describes the attack on Pearl Harbor as a day that will live in infamy. advancingjustice-la.org aasc.ucla.edu Consequences of the bombing of Pearl Harbor
Public Domain The United States enters World War II, fighting against Japan, Germany and Italy. How would people of Japanese ancestry be treated in the United States? advancingjustice-la.org aasc.ucla.edu Consequences of the bombing of Pearl Harbor
Now that we are in this war, how do we treat people of German, Italian or Japanese ancestry? Do we make a distinction between the two?Are we more frightened of Japanese than Germans or Italians?Why? You might want to bring up the topic of race/ethnicity here.The U.S. has a difficult history in how it both treated immigrants or people of color.Examples are plentiful here. Thus, determine whether you want to discuss how we treat people whose ancestry came from the countries we are at war with or whether this is an issue of discrimination? After the United States declared war on Japan, Japanese people were portrayed as the enemy of the United States. American citizens of Japanese ancestry were treated with suspicion.Propaganda depicted racist and xenophobic stereotypes about Japanese Americans. advancingjustice-la.org aasc.ucla.edu All images Public Domain United States Constitution
The United States Constitution was created to protect citizens from unfair treatment. The 4th Amendment: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated. Have a student read from the 4th and 14th Amendments Key phrases to emphasize include secure in their persons against unreasonable seizures advancingjustice-la.org aasc.ucla.edu United States Constitution
The 14th Amendment: All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. Have a student read from the 4th and 14th Amendments Key phrases to emphasize include Born or naturalized in the United States are citizens of the United States. Abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States Deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law advancingjustice-la.org aasc.ucla.edu advancingjustice-la.org 7 aasc.ucla.edu
Executive Order 9066 In 1942, President Roosevelt authorized the deportation and incarceration of Americans of Japanese ancestry. This affected about 120,000 people, most of whom were American citizens: Issei: Japanese immigrants to the United States (not allowed to become naturalized citizens). Nisei: Japanese-Americans, born in United States. Public Domain Executive Order 9066 provided the legal authority for the forced removal of people from military areas. Although the Order does not say Japanese Ancestry, this law was only applied to people of Japanese ancestry. The law was primarily aimed at the three West Coast states, California, Oregon, and Washington.The law was not aimed at people of Japanese ancestry in Hawaii,who were a significant number of the population, nor people of Japanese ancestry in the interior of the country. Hawaii, however, was placed under martial law. Define what we mean about people of Japanese Ancestry: Issei:Japanese immigrants to the U.S.By law, Issei were not allowed to naturalize Nisei:Japanese-Americans born in United States. Consider the difference between these two groups, in terms of attitude (for Nisei, this is the only country they ever knew) and in legal rights (Nisei had the protections of U.S. citizens offered by the Constitution. advancingjustice-la.org aasc.ucla.edu Japanese American Internment
The U.S. government ordered 120,000 people of Japanese origin to report to ten internment camps across the country. Public Domain In WWII, the U.S., via Executive Order incarcerated roughly 120,000 people of Japanese Ancestry into a set of relocation or concentration camps. Approximately, 2/3s of the 120,000 people were American citizens, Nisei People were first sent to temporary detention centers; often horse racing tracks which were converted for this purpose.In many cases, Japanese Americans were given a mere 48 hours to sell their personal belongings, their businesses, their homes, their property. Students, what strikes you about the location of many of these relocation areas? (The remoteness) A few places of note: --Manzanar, near Lone Pine, CA, was where many people from Southern California were sent --Topaz, Utah was where many people from the Bay Area were sent --Heart Mountain, Wyoming wasthe place of a serious resistance against the camps --Tule Lake, CA, near the Oregon border was where most people who were thought to be disloyal were sent. There is no evidence of any crime against the U.S. committed by a person of Japanese descent duringWWII. advancingjustice-la.org aasc.ucla.edu advancingjustice-la.org 9 aasc.ucla.edu
Here is a picture of Japanese Americans being assembled before being shipped off to relocation centers. Please note the heavy militarypresence, implying that there would be significant resistance.There was none.Some soldiers (not in this picture, but other pictures) had rifles with Bayonets. People were only allowed to take what they could carry. Usually only a suitcase or two.All the rest of their property was left behind.Pets had to be left behind.Some people destroyed their property.Others sold to scavengers, pennies to a dollar.Some had friends who took their possessions. Businesses were sold at great losses. Have students consider the implications of losing years of business dealings, overnight.How might you feel if your country did this to you? General DeWitt who was in charge of the evacuation made the following statement before a Congressional Committee in 1943, A Japs a Jap.It makes no difference whether he is an American citizen or not.I dont want any of them They are a dangerous element, whether loyal or not. . . All images Public Domain advancingjustice-la.org aasc.ucla.edu Japanese American Internment
First, people were sent to temporary detention centers. Often horse stalls were converted into temporary shelters. Japanese Americans were given 48 hours to sell their personal belongings, homes, businesses and property. There is no evidence of any crime against the United States committed by a person of Japanese ancestry during World War II. Public Domain Here is a picture of one of the camps.Have the students comment on the surroundings. Note the lack of greenery, the desert surroundings,the uniform barracks, where multiple families lived together in tight spaces. Facilities were made quickly and poorly. Public Domain advancingjustice-la.org aasc.ucla.edu Japanese American Internment
Have the students comment on this picture. Camps were surrounded by barbed wire.There were guard towers patrolled by the military. Japanese Americans were told that the camps were to keep them safe.One internee noted, that the guns were pointed in, not out. In the early days, the Americans tried to anticipate the Japanese American food interests. Several families lived in each hut.Families put up sheets as divisions. The shower facilities were communal.There are stories about modest people waiting until the middle of the night to shower. Public Domain advancingjustice-la.org aasc.ucla.edu advancingjustice-la.org 12 aasc.ucla.edu
Fred Korematsu In high school, Fred was on the tennis, swimming and track teams. Being born in this country, I learned about American history, and this was my country, Fred remembered.I just thought of myself as an American. After graduation from high school, he attended the Master School of Welding and worked on the Oakland docks as a steel welder, where he was quickly promoted to a foreman position. Image courtesy of Karen Korematsu Image courtesy of Karen Korematsu Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu was born in Oakland, California on January 30, 1919. He was the third of four sons to Japanese immigrant parents who ran a floral nursery business, in Oakland. advancingjustice-la.org aasc.ucla.edu advancingjustice-la.org 13 aasc.ucla.edu
Fred Korematsu Fred Korematsu refused to follow the government evacuation orders, becoming a fugitive. He was arrested, tried, convicted in federal court, and placed on five years probation. After his trial, he was sent to a war relocation center in Topaz, Utah with his family for the remainder of the war. Korematsus case was appealed all the way to the Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court upheld the verdict, justifying the governments internment of Japanese Americans during wartime. advancingjustice-la.org aasc.ucla.edu advancingjustice-la.org 14 aasc.ucla.edu
Fred Korematsu Image courtesy of Karen Korematsu Korematsu challenged the court again in Judge Marilyn Hall Patel of the U.S. District Court in San Francisco formally vacated Fred Korematsus conviction. In response, Korematsu stated, I would like to see the government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed, or color. advancingjustice-la.org aasc.ucla.edu advancingjustice-la.org 15 aasc.ucla.edu
Fred Korematsu In 1988, the United States Congress apologized for the evacuation and internment of Japanese Americans. They granted $20,000 compensation to each surviving prisoner. Image courtesy of Shirley Nakao advancingjustice-la.org aasc.ucla.edu Civil Rights Activists: Fred Korematsu and Rosa Parks
Dont be afraid to speak up. One person can make a difference, even if it takes forty years. Fred Korematsu Image courtesy of Shirley Nakao advancingjustice-la.org aasc.ucla.edu advancingjustice-la.org 17 aasc.ucla.edu
Fred Korematsu In 1998, President Bill Clinton awarded Fred Korematsu with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. In 2011, California remembered Korematsu by naming January 30th Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution. Fred Korematsu died in 2005. Image courtesy of Karen Korematsu advancingjustice-la.org aasc.ucla.edu