Evaluating the Japanese Internment During WWII Create the following Chart using the entire right side of your notebook Summary Choose a response..why? What happened? Concern A B C

Evaluating the Japanese Internment During WWII - Introduction Throughout US History, decision makers have been challenged by questions about what constitutes fair and just actions during times of war. For example, the government had to consider the extent of citizens’ rights in a democracy during wartime. To safeguard American security, can the government of the US carry out actions that violate the rights of American citizens? Or may the Constitution never be violated, even under wartime circumstances?

Introduction continued.... Constitutional questions such as these were certain to arise during WWII. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, the government feared further attacks on US soil. These fears raised the issue of the possible presence of enemy collaborators among the over one million people of German, Italian and Japanese descent then living within the US. The government had to determine whether their presence threatened national security…..

Concern A Beginning the day after Pearl Harbor, the government used several tactics to alleviate the threat of enemy collaborators FBI jailed thousands of Italian, German and Japanese Americans Some were relocated away from areas deemed vital to security Radios, fishing boats and cameras confiscated Curfews established However, harshest treatment was reserved for the Japanese Americans 1942 Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 – all Japanese, regardless of citizenship, age, gender and place of birth, were taken into custody and interned

Concern B Americans were divided.. Why only the Japanese? - they often lived in small ethnic enclaves, they were easy to identify and small number of population Anti- Japanese sentiment – long history of discrimination against Asian Americans and immigrants

Concern C House Bill 442 - 1988 Regan signed legislation that awarded $20,000 to every surviving Japanese American who had been interned Also issued an apology

Wrap Up Questions – Left Side Was the decision to intern Japanese a military necessity? Why or why not? Do you think the US government’s decision to pay reparations and to apologize was the right thing to do? Why or why not?

After you receive the evacuation notice, you must report to your station with the proper identification

This is the first view you have of your new home

As you exit the bus, you see the warnings which greet you at the camps perimeter

You wait eagerly to see if the rest of your family will join you on the next bus

…but you do not see them

You are questioned and photographed like a common criminal

Arrival at Camp Jerome by Henry Sugimoto

The Loneliness of Poston by George Sogioka

You are taken to your barren new home, former horse stables

All around you there is nothing but desolation

You go to your first day at school…

Sandstorm at Topaz by Suiko Mikami

After dropping off your younger sibling at the pre-school

And you realize you are all American And you realize you are all American. You are all American citizens living your lives behind a barbed wire fence with warnings telling you that you will be shot should you wander far from the camp’s gate

You play baseball

You watch the high school football games

You try to act like everything is normal, you try to show the love of your country

Students Hurry to Class by Kango Takamura