 One
of the most pressing issues facing the federal government after the bombing
of Pearl Harbor was what to do about Japanese Americans living in Hawaii
and on the West Coast. Many Americans were convinced that these Asian Americans
were part of Japan’s master plan for destroying the United States, although
no evidence existed that any of them were spies.
Soon after the bombing of Pearl Harbor,
the war department called for mass evacuations of all Japanese Americans
from Hawaii. On the West Coast, panic and prejudice combined to create
an atmosphere of hysteria and hostility. Day after day, newspapers ran
ugly stories attacking Japanese Americans.
On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt
signed an order requiring the removal of people of Japanese ancestry from
California and parts of Washington, Oregon and Arizona. He justified this
step as necessary for national security. In the following weeks, the Army
rounded up some 110,000 Japanese Americans and shipped them to ten hastily
constructed internment camps. About two-thirds were Nisei, or Japanese
Americans who were born in this country and were thus American citizens.
After reading the article above, answer the following questions.
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Define “Japanese Internment”
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Why were the Japanese Americans put in internment
camps?
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How did the U.S. government justify its actions?
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What states were most directly impacted by
internment?
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Define Nisei.
Complete the following section in a small group (4-5 people).
Within your group, give each a person a family
position (i.e., mother, father, children, grandparents, etc.). Write your
position under your name on the top of this sheet. You will fulfill this
role when addressing the following situation. Every group must assign one
“parent” to act as the group leader.
Imagine that you are a Japanese-American
living in California in 1942. You and your family have received an order
to report to an evacuation center in two days for relocation at an internment
camp. You are to bring along only the things you can carry. Create your
list and discuss your family list when everyone is finished.
Your list:
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Your family list:
|
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________ |
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________ |
Make a list of all the things you have to
do in order to get ready for relocation. This list may include disposing
of possessions, saying goodbye to friends, dealing with jobs, etc.
Your list:
|
Your family list:
|
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________ |
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________ |
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How did your character’s concerns differ from
the other members of your family?
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Was the United States justified in practicing
the policy of internment? Explain your opinion.
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