Internment of Japanese Americans

Warm-up What reasons do you think the United States interned Japanese in the US during WWII? Do you think that the United States would ever intern a group of people today?

Upfront article Pages 16-18

How many Japanese lived in America? 120,000 Japanese lived in the United States during World War II Most were US citizens living on the West Coast

Japanese American Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941 Citizens feared US would be attacked by the Japanese Citizens believed false rumors that Japanese Americans were committing sabotage

Japanese Internment Fear and uncertainty caused a wave of prejudice against Japanese Americans 1942  US War Department called for mass evacuation of all Japanese Americans from Hawaii. 37% of island was Japanese

Japanese Internment

Internment Newspapers attacked the Japanese 1942, President Roosevelt signed an order requiring the removal of people of Japanese ancestry from California and parts of Washington, Oregon, and Arizona

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Internment President justified it as necessary for national security 110,000 Japanese Americans shipped to ten remote “relocation centers”  prison camps 2/3s were Nisei  Born in America

Internment No charges were ever filed against Japanese Americans No evidence of subversion ever found Terrified Japanese American families were forced to sell their homes, businesses, and all their belongings for less than their true value

Going to the Camps

Supreme Court Case Korematsu vs. United States  Supreme Court argued relocating Japanese was justified on the basis of “military necessity.” Japanese American Citizens League pushed government to compensate 1965  Congress authorized spending $38 million for the purpose of paying back Japanese citizens losses…only covered 1/10

Korematsu

JACL 1978, called for payment of reparations to each individual that suffered internment. Decade later, Congress pass, Reagan signed, a bill that promised $20,000 to every Japanese American sent to relocation camp. Pres. Bush” We can never fully right the wrongs of the past. But we can take a clear stand for justice and recognize that serious injustices were done to Japanese Americans during World War II.”

Ronald Reagan

Questions Should the Japanese Americans receive reparations? Could this ever happen again in the United States? Please explain