American Japanese Relocation Camps

In 1942, shortly after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, The United States ordered all Japanese Americans living within the United States to be sent to relocation camps. These camps were mainly located in the western United States including one located in Central Utah, known as Topaz.

The Topaz relocation area was located about 15 miles west of Delta Utah. The camp was about 20,000 acres in size. There was also another camp located in Utah near Moab, this one however was much smaller than Topaz. Many of the people who were relocated to Topaz, were residents of the San Francisco area.

Many of the Japanese Americans living at Topaz were under 30 years old, and were considered first generation Americans. While at Topaz, many people worked in mainly agriculture, and other similar work. They tried to make life as normal as possible for these people, there was even a high school, known as Topaz High School.

Topaz opened September 11, 1942 and was closed three years later on October 31, 1945. A lot of locals were upset with the relocation camp in their state, calling it a “prison for the innocent” which it technically was. However during World War 2, the government took this as a precaution to ensure the safety of fellow Americans. Residents of Utah compared these camps to the camps that were taking place over seas at control of the Nazis.

In the textbook, Mike Shinoda a musician for the band Linkin Park, wrote the song “Kenji” based on his personal experience that his family had. Mikes father was Japanese and owned a store in Los Angeles. In the song, he describes somewhat of what his family had to go through during their time in the relocation camp. It talks about how they returned home to a trashed house after the camps were discontinued.

When all was said and done When all was said and done. Over 120,000 Japanese Americans spent time in the relocation camps. This was an event in the history of our country that took a lot of heat and criticism, however at the time President Roosevelt thought that it was a good idea for the time being. Today Japanese Americans play a vital role as part of the United States, they live, and work amongst us. Not many people in this generation are heavily educated on what took place in the 1940’s, however I think it is a good idea that all Americans learn about the relocation camps, and truly understand what the Japanese Americans had to go through, both during and after.

WORKS CITED "1942-1945: Topaz Internment Camp." I Love History. Utah Division of State Hisory. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. <http://ilovehistory.utah.gov/time/stories/topaz.html>. "51e. Japanese-American Internment." America in the Second World War. U.S. History. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/51e.asp>. Allen, Paul. "Kenji." It Begins With Our Questions. Hayden McNeil. 186-187. Print.