Japanese Americans Subjected to Wrongful Treatment During World War II

By: Valerie Tonn

World War II is commonly identified with events like the Bombing of Pearl Harbor and the end of the Great Depression with its increased poverty levels and lack of unemployment (World War II : great depression, n.d). This was a war where 330,000 American soldiers were killed and the creation and use of the atomic bomb were implemented (World War II : great depression, n.d). All of these facts are emphasized in the coverage of World War II, and not enough recognition of America’s part in a nasty war, as the country wrongfully created internment camps for Japanese Americans (Japanese-American internment, n.d.).

Internment camps were created as a result of the Executive Order 9066 that was issued by President Fraklin D. Roosevel (Japanese-American internment, n.d.). This came two months after Pearl harbor occurred, and discrimination towards Japanese Americans festered (Japanese-American internment, n.d.). Relocations to these camps were initially considered voluntary but six months after the executive order was issued, over 100,000 of Japanese Americans were forced into concentration camps, also known as “relocation camps” (Japanese- American internment, n.d.).

Discrimination furthered for Japanese Americans who were classified with names by their generations of immigration and birth in America (Japanese-American internment, n.d.). These camps caused thousands of Japanese-Americans regardless of generation to lose their homes due to being unable to pay for taxes while forced to live in these camps and not work (Japanese-American internment, n.d.). The order was held in place until June 25, 1946, in which President Harry S. Truman’s Executive Order 9742 released Japanese Americans out of these camps to be able to go home June 25, 1946 (Japanese-American internment, n.d.).

Prejudice continued once Japanese Americans returned home, and efforts like recognition of Japanese American soldiers on the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and Civil Liberties Act that required formal letters of apology to be sent and $20,000 of compensation to survivors of relocation camps in 1988 were put in place (Japanese-American internment, n.d.). These efforts to attain for America’s choices of wrongful imprisonment don’t justify or reconcile the terrible treatment and effects that Japanese Americans faced and continue to encounter due to these camps (Japanese-American internment, n.d.). This is especially true as history lessons rarely identify the treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II, as Americans need to discuss these relocation camps to prevent similar efforts within the country from occurring again(Japanese-American internment, n.d.).

References: Japanese-American internment. Japanese-American Internment | Harry S. Truman. (n.d.). https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/presidential-inquiries/japanese-american- internment The Library of Congress. (n.d.). https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states- history-primary-source-timeline/great-depression-and-world-war-ii-1929-1945/world-war-ii/

World War II : great depression and World War II, 1929-1945 : U.S. history primary source timeline : classroom materials at the Library of Congress : library of Congress.