Part 1: The Search Story
An article published by the Washington Post on how the secret use of census helped send Japanese Americans to internment camps in World War II prompted me to research why Japanese Americans were interned and its effect on their lives. The subject aroused my attention since I couldn't understand how Japanese American natives could be forced to relocate into internment camps. I also needed to analyze the impact it had on the relationship between the two countries.
From my previous knowledge, I knew that in 1941, the Japanese made a surprise attack on the U.S. Naval base in Hawaii. As a result, over 127,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned because they had Japanese ancestry. Their imprisonment lacked concrete evidence, and the U.S. held their ground that the prisoners were loyal to their ancestral home. In 1942, paranoia against the Japanese increased on the West Coast. Due to public opinion and poor advice, President Roosevelt signed an order that forced Japanese Americans to be relocated to concentration camps. The forced relocation to concentration camps had a profound effect on various facets of Japanese Americans. The relocation affected the Japanese American's ethnic identification. For others, the humiliation and embarrassment that they endured when being forcibly detained and relocated prompted them to identify with their Japanese ancestry, leading them away from Americanization. For some Japanese Americans, this was an opportunity to prove their “Americanism” and loyalty. My research on the Washington Post and other secondary sources helped me answer my questions about why Japanese Americans interned during World War II and its effect on their lives.
Part 2: The Search Results
I began my research by reading an article in the Washington Post that analyzed how the secret use of census helped send Japanese Americans to internment camps in World War II. I went on to research more articles on The National Archives on the Internment of Japanese Americans. The National Archives research study gave me more insight into the events leading to World War II and the events leading to the relocation of Japanese Americans to internment camps. I found several other articles over the internet that gave a detailed evaluation of the events leading to Japanese American internment during World War II. The sources include the National Archives and History.com.
The National Archives website analyzes President Franklin Roosevelt's speech that how congress declaring the Pearl Harbor Japanese attack would change the relations between the two countries (N.A., 2019b). The article discusses the factors that prompted President Roosevelt to sign an order that forced Japanese Americans to be interned during World War II (N.A., 2019b). It describes the poor living situation in internment camps and how people of Japanese ancestry sparked political and constitutional debates around the period to seek justice.
The entire research was based on findings from The Washington Post, History.com, and The National Archives. The research process was insightful since I learned the events that led to Japanese Americans' internment, their poor living conditions, those who were involved in fighting for liberation, and the effects that internment had on Japanese American's lives.
Part 3: Reflection
Reasons why Japanese Americans were Interned
Based on the findings from The Washington Post and The National Archives, it was evident that the United States considered the Japanese as a significant opponent during World War II. This was one of the primary reasons that led to Japanese Americans' internment (L.A., 2018a). The U.S. feared that the Japanese nationals would be disloyal, and, as such, President Roosevelt enacted the plan that profoundly affected most facets of Japanese American lives.
The findings from The National Archives reveal that the Japanese Americans were incarcerated due to regional politics, and their relocation was based on local population concerns (Ng, W. L., 2012). The research shows that over 113,000 Japanese Americans who resided on the West Coast were forced into internment camps (N.A., 2019b). However, in areas such as Hawaii, where Japanese Americans constituted over 34% of the population, about 1500 were interned. Besides, The National Archives study considers the internment to be influenced by racism instead of the security risk that Japanese Americans posed.
The Effects of Interment
Based on the findings of The National Archives, the humiliation, and embarrassment that Japanese Americans endured affected their ethnic affiliation. Some Japanese Americans were forced to do away with the American culture, and they were forced to embrace their Japanese roots. For others, interment provided the opportunity to prove their loyalty towards the American culture.
Most Japanese Americans experienced humiliation when they were forced to live in internment camps, which made them have a negative perspective about United States leadership (Ng, W. L., 2012). U.S. leadership formulated loyalty questions that served to gauge the degree of loyalty or disloyalty. Americans subjected the Japanese to the loyalty questions, and according to The National Archives, it was a humiliating experience (L.A., 2018a). Japanese Americans endured terrible conditions at the internment camps, and they were humiliated since they were forcefully relocated from their native land. However, some Japanese took the opportunity to seek acceptance as American citizens (N.A., 2019b). Those who sought to seek approval utilized the court and citizenship as ways of gaining acceptance. Besides, they enrolled in military service to prove their loyalty.
Lastly, internment affected the older generation compared to the younger generation. Based on autobiographies from George Takei and Jeanne Wakatsuki, they narrate that children didn't have a similar feeling of resentment as their parents. Also, the younger generation adjusted faster to the internment process compared to the older generation.
The findings of the research didn't change my understanding of the search process. I understood why Japanese Americans were interned and the effects that the process had on their lives. Based on the research findings, it's clear that Japanese Americans were interned during World War II as a precautionary measure for the Americans since they were uncertain about their loyalty. The studies also highlight both positive and negative effects associated with the internment. Some Japanese Americans were against the move, while others took the opportunity to prove their loyalty.
References
L.A. (2018a). Secret use of census info helped send Japanese Americans to internment camps in WWII. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/04/03/secret-use-of-census- info-helped-send-japanese-americans-to-internment-camps-in-wwii/
N.A. (2019b). Japanese-American Internment During World War II. National Archives. https:// www.archives.gov/education/lessons/japanese-relocation
Ng, W. L. (2012). Japanese American internment during World War II: A history and reference guide. Greenwood Publishing Group.
Hi Hang,
I found your paper super organized and easy to follow which made it interesting to read! This is such an important topic to shed light especially with the fact that internment camps and concentration camps still exist in different countries today. It is really disheartening that such tragic injustices continue on, however, the significance of it helps to lead our society on a path of progress. I feel that often events in history that take place that showcase the American government's unlawful policy are not always so thoroughly discussed and I learned a lot from your research so thank you!
Hi Hang! I am so interested in the Washington Post article and the use of the Census to essentially speed up the internment process. @Ahmed Abdirahman's question above reminds me of that this is another parallel to today's political climate--the Census has been a topic of serious debate for years (whether questions about citizenship can be asked, cutting off the time allotted for collecting data, etc.).
Did you find any of the primary sources from the National Archives set to be more useful than others in fleshing out the research question? Also, did anything else about the Census come up in your research? (I'm so intrigued...)
While this type of topic is saddening, there is a lot to be gained from learning about these types of events. To understand that fear can drive our country and us as humans to make painful choices. It really puts into perspective that no matter how advanced we may be, the type of discrimination that keeps going on is rampant in one form or another. When you Looked up your sources did you think about any other incidents that it could connect whether personal or in recent times? I thought about the separation of children and parents in ICE captivity. While it may be deemed necessary it is also traumatizing for the children.
Hi Hang,
I enjoy reading your post about the struggle of Japanese Americans during World War II. There were a lot of interesting aspects mentioned, while it's still pretty messed up to put Japanese Americans into internment camps because of their ancestry, it's understandable (but not acceptable), because of the war scare that made America do it. Great post!