Japanese-American Internment: Was it best for national security?

1. Japanese-American Internment: Was it best for national security? Christine Morgan Holland Patent Middle School cmorgan@hpschools.org

2. What was Japanese-American Internment? On December 7, 1941, the naval base located at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was attacked by Japan. This attack damaged much of the US Pacific fleet and killed over two thousand Americans. As the nation reacted to this event, many Americans looked closely at the over 100,000 people of Japanese ancestry that lived within the US. Although almost 2/3rds of these were second generation Japanese Americans, Asian Americans had long faced discrimination and bigotry. The attack on Pearl Harbor only added to the racism that Japanese-Americans faced, as many Americans feared that they were loyal to Japan rather than the United States. Many Japanese on the West Coast lost jobs, were evicted and were harassed. On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066. This order relocated many of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast to isolated camps. Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_World_War_II_Japanese_American_internment_camps.jpg

3. Identify the Problem Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, many Americans debated over whether or not people of Japanese ancestry living in the US should be moved into internment camps and watched more closely. Would the debate over whether or not to relocate this group of people to internment camps be considered a social problem of the 1940s? Click here to learn the definition of social problem and decide. Explain your answer to a partner. Source: http://fearandmasshysteria.wikispaces.com/Japanese+Internment+Camps

4. Political Cartoon Analysis Directions: View each of the following political cartoons with your group. For each, answer the following questions: • What is the overall message of the political cartoon? • How is this shown? (What do different people/symbols/characters represent? Is there any text that supports the message?) • Which side of this debate does the political cartoon support? Source: http://www.bookmice.net/darkchilde/japan/camp.html

5. Source: http://gtmegan.edublogs.org/files/2012/02/honorable-fifth-column-vq3zje.jpg

6. Source: http://ww2cartoons.org/nov-1942-internment-of-japanese-americans/

7. Source: http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist8/editorial4.html

8. Source: http://japanfocus.org/-Stephanie-Bangarth/2649

9. Source: http://japanfocus.org/-Stephanie-Bangarth/2649

10. Determine the Causes Directions: First, click here to review this step from the AHPPA website. Next, with your group, use this worksheet to discuss and create a list of the causes of this debate. You should describe the reasons FOR and AGAINST placing Japanese Americans in internment camps during World War II. In your discussion, be sure to consider the following: Race relations in the United States, Nativism, Events at home and in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s, your personal beliefs and evidence from the political cartoons. You may use evidence from your class notes and supplied readings to help prepare your reasons.

11. FOR In times of war, we need to do whatever is necessary to keep the country safe. Japanese or Japanese Americans might remain loyal to Japan. Some Japanese immigrants might act as spies. It was Japan that attacked Pearl Harbor, not other Axis Powers. Other views? AGAINST We are a nation of immigrants. We aren’t forcing German or Italian immigrants into internment camps. We shouldn’t force Japanese immigrants into internment camps either. This is a violation of their constitutional rights. This is an example of bigotry. Japanese and other Asian immigrants had faced discrimination for decades. This will encourage discrimination against other immigrants. Other views? Is Japanese internment best for the national security of the country? Now let’s consider your arguments. These may include:

12. What was the long-term outcome? Once the war is over, restrictions were lifted on Japanese Americans. In 1946, President Truman signed an act to compensate Japanese Americans for some economic losses due to the forced evacuation. After years of efforts by activists and congressional hearings, a law was passed in 1988 that was, in essence, an apology from the US government. The law paid $20,000 to each surviving Japanese American who had lived in the internment camps. Source: http://japaneseintermentcamps.wikispaces.com/After+the+War