History of Japanese Americans
and the Internment
Comparing Cultures
Immigration
• Immigration was concentrated in the latter quarter of 19th
century. They entered the plantation economy as contract
workers. Migration (especially to CALIF) occurred in
1890s. (25,000 – 1900 Census)
• Japanese were accused to taking jobs away from US
citizens.
• Many were single males, employment was physically
difficult, low prestige, and low paying. The majority came
from a working class.
• Picture Bride was a way to select wives.
History
• Gentleman’s Agreement (1907)- Japan agreed not to issue
passports to skilled or unskilled workers or to wives or
children of these workers.
• Immigration Act (1917) enacted in order to stop Japanese
immigration as well as immigration from other Asian countries.
• Immigration Act (1924) allowed a total of 100 migrants per year
for the following decades.
• National Origins Act of 1924
• Ozawa v. United States (1922)
• Lives segregated from US mainstream
• Ethnic enclaves
Pearl Harbor
• Dec. 7, 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor
• FBI began to round up Japanese leaders in Hawaii +
Mainland. By 6:30am, 736 Japanese were in custody; w/in
48hrs, the number was 1291. Held on no formal charges +
family members were forbidden to see them.
• Mar. 24, 1942 Japanese Americans were removed from
their neighborhoods. Most were taken to assembly centers
or temporary detention camps.
World War II
Concentration Camps
• As a group, they were taken
into concentration camps
during WWII.
• Loss their possessions, faced
a hostile public, + had lost
faith in American system.
• Over 110, 000 Japanese were
imprisoned at Manzanar + 9
other camps.
• Of these, 2/3 were American
born citizens.
WWII Soldiers
• Many argue there
was an exploitation
of Japanese American
soldiers during
WWII.
• Many were
volunteers from
concentration camps
whose families were
behind barbed wires.
Assembly Centers
• Manzanar and Tule Lake California
• Amache, Colorado
• Minidoka, Idaho
• Topaz, Utah
• Heart Mountain, Wyoming
• Jerome, Arkansas
• Gila River and Poston, Arizona
Voices
• "At Gila, there were 7,700 people crowded into space
designed for 5,000. They were housed in messhalls,
recreation halls, and even latrines. As many as 25 persons
lived in a space intended for four."
(http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/history/camps.html)
• “There were shootings…Topaz, an elderly evacuee thought
to be escaping was killed. At Gila River, a Guard shot and
wounded a mentally deranged evacuee. At Tule Lake, after
segregation, an evacuee in an altercation with a guard was
shot and killed.” (http://www.children-of-the-camps.org/history/timeline.html)
Voices
• “A Jap’s a Jap. There’s no way to determine their
loyalty…This coast is too vulnerable. No Jap should come
back to this coast except on a permit from my office.” –
General John L. DeWitt, head, Western Defense Command
((http://www.children-of-the-camps.org/history/timeline.html)
• Physically we were 100% Japanese but we are 100%
American in our hearts. It’s not that I want to wave the flag
but we were born and raised here in the American system.
It was a crushing blow that the government would say
“You’re Japanese. You’ve got to get out of here”
• We cooperated with the government, because in the long
run we hoped to prove our citizenship.
Internment Camp
Gila River Camp, Arizona
Manzanar Relocation Camp, CA
http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/
history/camps.html
http://www.csuohio.edu/art_photos/fa
malbum/famalbum.html
Heart Mountain Relocation Camp, Wyoming
Gila River Relocation
Camphttp://www.csuohio.edu/art_photos/famalbum http://www.csuohio.edu/art_photos/famalbu
m/famalbum.html
/famalbum.html
After the WWII
• 1948 President Truman signs the Japanese Americans.
Evacuation Claim Act, a measure to compensate Japanese
Americans for economic losses.
• 1954- Issei could become citizens
• 1965 Pres. Johnson amends the Immigration Nationality
Act, making Asians equal to Europeans in immigrant
matters.
• 1988 Pres. Reagan signed into a law for individual
payments of 20k to each surviving internee.
Impact on Concentration Camps
• Strengths/Resiliency factors: family and community support,
cultural values, spiritual/religious beliefs
• Economic/Financial impact
• Social impact: loss of community leadership, selfidentification as “camp generation”
The Present
• One of the best educated groups in US
• School achievement remains consistently high
• Issei group started low SES, 1980s introduced millionaires,
lawyers, doctors, engineers, etc.
Generation Summary
• Issei (一世)The generation of people born in Japan who later
immigrated to another country.
• Nisei (二世)The generation of people born in North America, Latin
America, Hawaii, or any country outside of Japan either to at least
one
• Issei or one non-immigrant Japanese parent.
• Sansei (三世)The generation of people born in North America, Latin
America, Hawaii, or any country outside of Japan to at least
one Nisei parent.
• Yonsei (四世)The generation of people born in North America, Latin
America, Hawaii, or any country outside of Japan to at least
one Sansei parent.Gosei (五世)The generation of people born in
North America, Latin America, Hawaii, or any country outside of
Japan to at least one Yonsei parent.
Values
• Work ethic is very strong—traced back to Confucius and
Buddha
• Situational orientation- learning how to behave toward
those above, below + equal
More Recent Immigrants:
• Group is the priority over the individual
• Children socialized to conformity, dependency, and
obedience
Rabbit in the Moon
How much of your own identity is defined by your
ties to your family and community?
• Is there one person or organization that represents or
speaks for your community – ethnic, religious, gender,
professional? Did they assume this leadership role on their
own, or were they chosen?
• How would you cope with the loss of authority figures in
your family and community?
Rabbit in the Moon
• What experiences have you had that may have
called into question your right to call yourself an
American?
• What was that questioning based on? The way you look?
Where your ancestors were from? What languages you
speak?
• Have you ever questioned anyone else's right to call
themselves an American? What factors brought you to this
conclusion?
• Based on those experiences, what do you think it means to
be an American?