Japanese Internment in the US and Canada
Chloe Eater (A4)
Cause + Effect
Attack on Pearl Harbor and Japanese Internment Camps
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was the main event that caused both the US and Canada to start internment camps, which held Japanese-American and Japanese-Canadian citizens. The reason that the Japanese decided to target the US was because they had placed an embargo on Japan. Also, the US had been helping out the Allied forces by supplying them with materials, yet they wanted to stay out of WWII. Japan saw this as a traitor move because the US claimed to be neutral. This Japanese upset was mainly due to the lack of resources because the US had stopped supplying them and were now giving them away to the power against Japan. These actions led to the brutality of the bombing on US soil, which not only left the US with fear and hatred towards the Japanese, but also British Columbia, Canada.
In a speech given by FDR addressing the US about Pearl Harbor, FDR requests Congress to declare war on the Japanese, saying “Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger” (American Experience). From this quote, one can tell that the Americans were left in shock from the Pearl Harbor bombing. Since the US went into WWII after this event, the military defense was increased and the internment camps were part of this plan to protect America. As FDR even said, the country was in danger and some people were paranoid around other Americans of Japanese descent. They probably speculated that the Japanese-Americans were somewhat sided with the Japanese because they were the same race. But, as evidence in Canada shows, there were no formal reports of violence by Japanese-Canadian citizens. Because of this terrible event, most US and Canadian citizens unfairly treated their fellow Japanese-American citizens by placing them into internment camps. The main reason for this was to keep the Japanese citizens contained, which was hoped to prevent another act of terrorism at home.
Attack on Pearl Harbor and Japanese Internment Camps
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was the main event that caused both the US and Canada to start internment camps, which held Japanese-American and Japanese-Canadian citizens. The reason that the Japanese decided to target the US was because they had placed an embargo on Japan. Also, the US had been helping out the Allied forces by supplying them with materials, yet they wanted to stay out of WWII. Japan saw this as a traitor move because the US claimed to be neutral. This Japanese upset was mainly due to the lack of resources because the US had stopped supplying them and were now giving them away to the power against Japan. These actions led to the brutality of the bombing on US soil, which not only left the US with fear and hatred towards the Japanese, but also British Columbia, Canada.
In a speech given by FDR addressing the US about Pearl Harbor, FDR requests Congress to declare war on the Japanese, saying “Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger” (American Experience). From this quote, one can tell that the Americans were left in shock from the Pearl Harbor bombing. Since the US went into WWII after this event, the military defense was increased and the internment camps were part of this plan to protect America. As FDR even said, the country was in danger and some people were paranoid around other Americans of Japanese descent. They probably speculated that the Japanese-Americans were somewhat sided with the Japanese because they were the same race. But, as evidence in Canada shows, there were no formal reports of violence by Japanese-Canadian citizens. Because of this terrible event, most US and Canadian citizens unfairly treated their fellow Japanese-American citizens by placing them into internment camps. The main reason for this was to keep the Japanese citizens contained, which was hoped to prevent another act of terrorism at home.
A Japanese-American's View An White-American's View of the Japanese
Compare + Contrast & Similarities + Differences
A Japanese-American's View
This is a picture, taken by Dorothea Lange, is of a store once owned by a college-educated Japanese-American, but was closed by the government after the Japanese were ordered to evacuate some west coast areas. The owner was relocated to an internment camp, like many other Japanese-Americans. The sign, which says “I am an American”, is in protest of the internment camps (Oakland, Calif.). Japanese-Americans were being discriminated against because of the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, many of the Japanese-Americans viewed this as unfair. Before this attack, Japanese-Americans went on their their daily lives, had jobs, and some even had college degrees. These people were still US citizens, but their citizenship was overlooked by their race after the attack because they were Japanese, like who caused the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The message that Japanese-Americans were trying to convey was that even though they looked like an enemy, it did not mean that they were rooting for the Japanese and Axis powers during WWII.
A White-American's View of the Japanese
In Contrast, most of the white Americans discriminated against Japanese-Americans after Pearl harbor because they believed that all Japanese people were bad. As shown in this picture of a store owned by a white person, they did not want Japanese people shopping in their store (Japanese Internment Camps). This may have been because they did not want their other customers complaining that Japanese folk were in the store. Most Americans (not Japanese) at that time felt a sense of insecurity about Japanese people. Unlike the Japanese-Americans, the whites did consider Japanese-Americans to be true citizens because of their race. The reason why Americans let Japanese-Americans be moved into internment camps was because having all of the Japanese people in the country relocated to contained areas made them feel more secure. Even though there was a lack of evidence for a reason to put the Japanese-Americans into an internment camp, there was also no real evidence if they placed still their loyalty to Japan. At this time, there was a distrust of this group of people, especially in the west coast, because Pearl Harbor was fresh in everyone’s mind.
A Canadian's View of the Japanese
In comparison to the white American viewpoint, the Canadian people also discriminated citizens of the Japanese race. However, they were never very accepting to them in the first place. Japanese people started immigrating to Canada in the 1800s and had a hard time finding employment and acceptance from the very beginning. The research for the lesser tolerance of the Japanese race in Canada was most likely because this country is not considered a melting pot of many different races and cultures (unlike the US). Also, Canada is comprised of mostly white people. The anti-Japanese feeling was increased after Pearl Harbor, and the Japanese-Canadians were relocated to the Canadian internment camps. Mackenzie King, the prime minister of Canada even said, “It is the government's plan to get these people out of B.C. as fast as possible. It is my personal intention, as long as I remain in public life, to see they never come back here. Let our slogan be for British Columbia: No Japs from the Rockies to the seas” (Japanese Internment). What King wants is for all of the Japanese people to leave Canada altogether, while in the US, they were more relocated to a more confined and secured area. As the Japanese military attacked more places around the world, the discrimination against Japanese-Canadians increased. Also, the Japanese-Canadians were given less rights than the Japanese-Americans because they were not protected under the US Constitution. In Canada, many Japanese-owned property was sold off, leaving the Canadians with nothing.
A Japanese-American's View
This is a picture, taken by Dorothea Lange, is of a store once owned by a college-educated Japanese-American, but was closed by the government after the Japanese were ordered to evacuate some west coast areas. The owner was relocated to an internment camp, like many other Japanese-Americans. The sign, which says “I am an American”, is in protest of the internment camps (Oakland, Calif.). Japanese-Americans were being discriminated against because of the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, many of the Japanese-Americans viewed this as unfair. Before this attack, Japanese-Americans went on their their daily lives, had jobs, and some even had college degrees. These people were still US citizens, but their citizenship was overlooked by their race after the attack because they were Japanese, like who caused the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The message that Japanese-Americans were trying to convey was that even though they looked like an enemy, it did not mean that they were rooting for the Japanese and Axis powers during WWII.
A White-American's View of the Japanese
In Contrast, most of the white Americans discriminated against Japanese-Americans after Pearl harbor because they believed that all Japanese people were bad. As shown in this picture of a store owned by a white person, they did not want Japanese people shopping in their store (Japanese Internment Camps). This may have been because they did not want their other customers complaining that Japanese folk were in the store. Most Americans (not Japanese) at that time felt a sense of insecurity about Japanese people. Unlike the Japanese-Americans, the whites did consider Japanese-Americans to be true citizens because of their race. The reason why Americans let Japanese-Americans be moved into internment camps was because having all of the Japanese people in the country relocated to contained areas made them feel more secure. Even though there was a lack of evidence for a reason to put the Japanese-Americans into an internment camp, there was also no real evidence if they placed still their loyalty to Japan. At this time, there was a distrust of this group of people, especially in the west coast, because Pearl Harbor was fresh in everyone’s mind.
A Canadian's View of the Japanese
In comparison to the white American viewpoint, the Canadian people also discriminated citizens of the Japanese race. However, they were never very accepting to them in the first place. Japanese people started immigrating to Canada in the 1800s and had a hard time finding employment and acceptance from the very beginning. The research for the lesser tolerance of the Japanese race in Canada was most likely because this country is not considered a melting pot of many different races and cultures (unlike the US). Also, Canada is comprised of mostly white people. The anti-Japanese feeling was increased after Pearl Harbor, and the Japanese-Canadians were relocated to the Canadian internment camps. Mackenzie King, the prime minister of Canada even said, “It is the government's plan to get these people out of B.C. as fast as possible. It is my personal intention, as long as I remain in public life, to see they never come back here. Let our slogan be for British Columbia: No Japs from the Rockies to the seas” (Japanese Internment). What King wants is for all of the Japanese people to leave Canada altogether, while in the US, they were more relocated to a more confined and secured area. As the Japanese military attacked more places around the world, the discrimination against Japanese-Canadians increased. Also, the Japanese-Canadians were given less rights than the Japanese-Americans because they were not protected under the US Constitution. In Canada, many Japanese-owned property was sold off, leaving the Canadians with nothing.
US Internment Camps Canadian Internment Camps
Similarities + Differences
US Internment Camps vs. Canadian Internment Camps
These are both government notices regarding the relocation process of Japanese-American and Canadian citizens. As I already talked about, Canada was harsher towards the Japanese, than the US. However, the relocation process was similar. The people were allowed to bring one bag filled with their own belongings. The families may have been separated because of gender and age, and were transported by being packed into tight spaces and then kept in livestock stables and available facilities that often housed animals (The War Relocation Camps) (Japanese Internment Camps in Canada).
US Internment Camps vs. Canadian Internment Camps
These are both government notices regarding the relocation process of Japanese-American and Canadian citizens. As I already talked about, Canada was harsher towards the Japanese, than the US. However, the relocation process was similar. The people were allowed to bring one bag filled with their own belongings. The families may have been separated because of gender and age, and were transported by being packed into tight spaces and then kept in livestock stables and available facilities that often housed animals (The War Relocation Camps) (Japanese Internment Camps in Canada).
Short + Long Term Effects
Short + Long Term Effects & Continuity + Change
The short term effects of the Japanese Internment Camps were that the citizens of Japanese race in both the US and Canada were relocated to the camps for the duration of WWII after the attack on Pearl Harbor. This affected the lives of these citizens long term because they were subject to increased discrimination and after they left the camps, many had no place to go back to because their home and livelihood had been taken away. There were hard feelings on both sides of the spectrum. For the other citizens (not Japanese), there was a different view of the Japanese race because Pearl Harbor had happened and many people were stereotypical towards this race, seeing all Japanese people as having loyalty to the Axis powers and Japan. This was the effect of the many propaganda posters that were released by the governments. One example is the poster above, that discriminates Japanese people, calling them “Japs” and portraying them as evil, unintelligent, and having loyalty to Japan (WWII Propaganda). This view of Japanese people continued even after the war was over, partly because of the lasting effect that the bombing of Pearl Harbor had on America and Canada.
The short term effects of the Japanese Internment Camps were that the citizens of Japanese race in both the US and Canada were relocated to the camps for the duration of WWII after the attack on Pearl Harbor. This affected the lives of these citizens long term because they were subject to increased discrimination and after they left the camps, many had no place to go back to because their home and livelihood had been taken away. There were hard feelings on both sides of the spectrum. For the other citizens (not Japanese), there was a different view of the Japanese race because Pearl Harbor had happened and many people were stereotypical towards this race, seeing all Japanese people as having loyalty to the Axis powers and Japan. This was the effect of the many propaganda posters that were released by the governments. One example is the poster above, that discriminates Japanese people, calling them “Japs” and portraying them as evil, unintelligent, and having loyalty to Japan (WWII Propaganda). This view of Japanese people continued even after the war was over, partly because of the lasting effect that the bombing of Pearl Harbor had on America and Canada.
Conclusion
In conclusion, reading about the Japanese internment camps and the unfair treatment towards the Japanese-citizens by their own country (US and Canada) shows that forcing these people to leave their homes was not the best way to handle the situation. It can be understood that there needed to be necessary actions taken to buckle down on homeland security and it was apparent that most people had a fear that something as terrible as Pearl Harbor could happen again. However, generalizations cannot be made in a situation like this because most of the Japanese-Americans and Japanese-Canadians had lived in the country for many years and were law abiding citizens just like most everyone else. It was not fair for this group of people to be treated in such a way just because they were the same race as the “bad guy”.
In conclusion, reading about the Japanese internment camps and the unfair treatment towards the Japanese-citizens by their own country (US and Canada) shows that forcing these people to leave their homes was not the best way to handle the situation. It can be understood that there needed to be necessary actions taken to buckle down on homeland security and it was apparent that most people had a fear that something as terrible as Pearl Harbor could happen again. However, generalizations cannot be made in a situation like this because most of the Japanese-Americans and Japanese-Canadians had lived in the country for many years and were law abiding citizens just like most everyone else. It was not fair for this group of people to be treated in such a way just because they were the same race as the “bad guy”.
Evaluation of Primary Sources
Most of the primary sources used in this wiki page only portrays one opinion, whether it comes from a Japanese-American citizen, the Pearl harbor speech given by FDR, or a Canadian Japanese internment camp notice. This one-sidedness can be valuable because the sources are able to show different backgrounds’ opinion about these Japanese internment camps and their view of the Japanese race. This gives the reader an idea of how that entire group felt on this event. The reason why these groups feel this way can be taken from these sources as well. This helps aid in the overall understanding of the purpose of Japanese internment camps. While biased sources are sometimes seen as a limitation by themselves, using many clearly biased primary sources provides a variety of views on the spectrum. This is beneficial because it is possible to see how all of these groups fit together. In addition, including photographs as primary sources gives a visual that is connected to the descriptions. They can depict how things were in the moment and show an event in a way that it cannot be described through only words.
Most of the primary sources used in this wiki page only portrays one opinion, whether it comes from a Japanese-American citizen, the Pearl harbor speech given by FDR, or a Canadian Japanese internment camp notice. This one-sidedness can be valuable because the sources are able to show different backgrounds’ opinion about these Japanese internment camps and their view of the Japanese race. This gives the reader an idea of how that entire group felt on this event. The reason why these groups feel this way can be taken from these sources as well. This helps aid in the overall understanding of the purpose of Japanese internment camps. While biased sources are sometimes seen as a limitation by themselves, using many clearly biased primary sources provides a variety of views on the spectrum. This is beneficial because it is possible to see how all of these groups fit together. In addition, including photographs as primary sources gives a visual that is connected to the descriptions. They can depict how things were in the moment and show an event in a way that it cannot be described through only words.
Bibliography
20th Anniversary of the Canadian Government’s Formal Apology for Japanese Internment during World War II. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/multiculturalism/asian/20years-jap.asp
American Experience: TV's most-watched history series. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-resources/fdr-harbor/
Japanese American Internment Tags: history . Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://researchguides.library.tufts.edu/content.php?pid=93647&sid=698831
Japanese Internment. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://www.cbc.ca/history/episcontentse1ep14ch3pa3le.html
Japanese Internment Camps. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/projects/canadianhistory/camps/internment1.html
Japanese Internment Camps. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://nhdhopemikaila.weebly.com/
Japanese Relocation During World War II. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/japanese-relocation/
Japanese-American Internment. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://www.ushistory.org/us/51e.asp
Oakland, Calif., Mar. 1942. A large sign reading "I am an American" placed in the window of a store, at 13th and Franklin streets, on December 8, the day after Pearl Harbor. The store was closed following orders to persons of Japanese descent to evacuate from certain West Coast areas. The owner, a University of California graduate, will be housed with hundreds of evacuees in War Relocation Authority centers for the duration of the war. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://loc.gov/pictures/item/2004665381/
WWII Propaganda: The Influence of Racism – Artifacts Journal - University of Missouri. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from https://artifactsjournal.missouri.edu/2012/03/wwii-propaganda-the-influence-of-racism/
Welcome to the Official Site of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://www.pearlharbor.org/eyewitness-accounts.asp
20th Anniversary of the Canadian Government’s Formal Apology for Japanese Internment during World War II. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/multiculturalism/asian/20years-jap.asp
American Experience: TV's most-watched history series. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-resources/fdr-harbor/
Japanese American Internment Tags: history . Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://researchguides.library.tufts.edu/content.php?pid=93647&sid=698831
Japanese Internment. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://www.cbc.ca/history/episcontentse1ep14ch3pa3le.html
Japanese Internment Camps. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/projects/canadianhistory/camps/internment1.html
Japanese Internment Camps. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://nhdhopemikaila.weebly.com/
Japanese Relocation During World War II. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/japanese-relocation/
Japanese-American Internment. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://www.ushistory.org/us/51e.asp
Oakland, Calif., Mar. 1942. A large sign reading "I am an American" placed in the window of a store, at 13th and Franklin streets, on December 8, the day after Pearl Harbor. The store was closed following orders to persons of Japanese descent to evacuate from certain West Coast areas. The owner, a University of California graduate, will be housed with hundreds of evacuees in War Relocation Authority centers for the duration of the war. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://loc.gov/pictures/item/2004665381/
WWII Propaganda: The Influence of Racism – Artifacts Journal - University of Missouri. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from https://artifactsjournal.missouri.edu/2012/03/wwii-propaganda-the-influence-of-racism/
Welcome to the Official Site of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://www.pearlharbor.org/eyewitness-accounts.asp