Date post: | 18-Jan-2018 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | edward-lane |
View: | 225 times |
Download: | 0 times |
If you can't read please download the document
advancingjustice-la.org 1 aasc.ucla.edu
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