Franklin D Roosevelt's Accomplishments
In the early stages of World War ll, Japanese Americans were living in peace on the West Coast. All was well until Pearl Harbor wreaked havoc about the United States of America. Billy, a Japanese American who lived to see that time, and was one of the many Japanese Americans who was sent to internment camps, because of their race. Because he and others like him had the same roots as those who bombed Pearl Harbor. The same roots. Not belief, not actions, not because of anything that they had control over. It was mere because of where they came from. If Franklin D. Roosevelt took to mind that he was forcing people out of their homes and lives, just because of where they came from and not that they did anything wrong----the horror that we know
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now as Japanese internment camps many not exist. Maybe if they thought a little about how they came to a new world too and were welcomed with open arms by the American Indians centuries ago, maybe they would have thought twice about putting people in confinement just because of where they came from. In the beginning of World War ll, many Japanese citizens immigrated to America, to escape from the war between China and Japan.
In the 1930’s the worldwide Great Depression was in play, and the economy was failing. Billy was born in 1930, and by the time he was 11, things were looking up. Jobs were growing, small businesses were doing well, such as Billy’s family grocery store. There was finally hope that an immigrant in the U.S. could lead a successful life. “On the morning of December 7, 1941, something happened that would change America forever. Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, a U.S. military base in Hawaii,”(6). More than 2,300 Americans were killed that day, more than 1,200 were injured. Acts of terror like these strike fear. If one apple goes bad, then surely all the apples in the orchard have gone bad as well. This was the direct mentality that the United States government went by. What better way is there to deal with fear than to lock up all of their kind in various internment camps? “Throughout U.S. history, newcomers have often been viewed with mistrust and suspicion. It was no different for Japanese immigrants. By the early 1900s, many had settled on the West Coast. They faced intense prejudice. They could not own property or become citizens.” The bombing of Pearl Harbor only made
prejudice worse. By then, more than 127,000 Japanese immigrants were living in America near the West Coast. They would put up signs saying that “I am American Too” and that they thought that the bombing was wrong etc. Even though most Japanese immigrants showed their immense loyalty to the United States of America, U.S. Army Lieutenant General John DeWitt declared, “They are a dangerous element, whether loyal or not,”(7). Furthermore, as the stereotypes and discrimination increase as well as continue, president Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an Executive Order which “ gave the military the power to remove all Japanese Americans—every man, woman, and child—from the West Coast and move them to internment camps in remote parts of the U.S.”(7). It is still known as one of the most shameful acts. Because of the prejudice, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the inconsiderate words of well-respected people in the US, Franklin D. Roosevelt was driven to believe that it was okay to put hundreds of thousands of Japanese immigrants to internment camps. One of the many things that could have helped prevent such a revolting act was the consideration. The United States of America has always been wary and suspicious of immigrants. With every new wave of immigrants, comes discrimination, stereotypes, and intense prejudice. But why? Weren’t us “Americans” once immigrants when we sailed over on the Mayflower to find ‘new land’? We found land, but it was already occupied. By American Indians, who welcomed us with open arms when they noticed that we were people who just came here to find peace. They didn’t discriminate us like some Americans do to minorities who have become a majority in “The Land of the Free”. America is known to be the Land of Opportunity. Where roads are paved with gold. How can this be when immigrants are treated with suspicion and unfriendliness? How can this be if one person does something wrong, then everyone else in that category is automatically untrusted and blamed as well? If Americans took into consideration that if one apple has gone bad, the rest of the orchard isn’t infested with worms either; then maybe this atrocious Executive act would not have been passed. Maybe then, 127,000 Japanese immigrants wouldn’t be sent to internment camps in secluded mountains. If America had taken the situation into consideration and noticed the peace that the Japanese Americans took with them to the U.S.A., then maybe this crisis wouldn’t be appearing in History books, maybe immigrants would be seen with a positive connotation. If some consideration and thought were given to the matter, the Executive Act 9066 wouldn’t have been signed at all. All in all, fear, discrimination, and in consideration led to the passing of Executive Order 9066. If America had thought about their situation long back when, and how natives treated them when they first arrived in a new country, then this conundrum never would’ve happened. Next time fear is the trigger for fast, unthoughtful actions, remember, one bad apple doesn’t mean that the whole orchard has rotted as well.
now as Japanese internment camps many not exist. Maybe if they thought a little about how they came to a new world too and were welcomed with open arms by the American Indians centuries ago, maybe they would have thought twice about putting people in confinement just because of where they came from. In the beginning of World War ll, many Japanese citizens immigrated to America, to escape from the war between China and Japan.
In the 1930’s the worldwide Great Depression was in play, and the economy was failing. Billy was born in 1930, and by the time he was 11, things were looking up. Jobs were growing, small businesses were doing well, such as Billy’s family grocery store. There was finally hope that an immigrant in the U.S. could lead a successful life. “On the morning of December 7, 1941, something happened that would change America forever. Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, a U.S. military base in Hawaii,”(6). More than 2,300 Americans were killed that day, more than 1,200 were injured. Acts of terror like these strike fear. If one apple goes bad, then surely all the apples in the orchard have gone bad as well. This was the direct mentality that the United States government went by. What better way is there to deal with fear than to lock up all of their kind in various internment camps? “Throughout U.S. history, newcomers have often been viewed with mistrust and suspicion. It was no different for Japanese immigrants. By the early 1900s, many had settled on the West Coast. They faced intense prejudice. They could not own property or become citizens.” The bombing of Pearl Harbor only made
prejudice worse. By then, more than 127,000 Japanese immigrants were living in America near the West Coast. They would put up signs saying that “I am American Too” and that they thought that the bombing was wrong etc. Even though most Japanese immigrants showed their immense loyalty to the United States of America, U.S. Army Lieutenant General John DeWitt declared, “They are a dangerous element, whether loyal or not,”(7). Furthermore, as the stereotypes and discrimination increase as well as continue, president Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an Executive Order which “ gave the military the power to remove all Japanese Americans—every man, woman, and child—from the West Coast and move them to internment camps in remote parts of the U.S.”(7). It is still known as one of the most shameful acts. Because of the prejudice, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the inconsiderate words of well-respected people in the US, Franklin D. Roosevelt was driven to believe that it was okay to put hundreds of thousands of Japanese immigrants to internment camps. One of the many things that could have helped prevent such a revolting act was the consideration. The United States of America has always been wary and suspicious of immigrants. With every new wave of immigrants, comes discrimination, stereotypes, and intense prejudice. But why? Weren’t us “Americans” once immigrants when we sailed over on the Mayflower to find ‘new land’? We found land, but it was already occupied. By American Indians, who welcomed us with open arms when they noticed that we were people who just came here to find peace. They didn’t discriminate us like some Americans do to minorities who have become a majority in “The Land of the Free”. America is known to be the Land of Opportunity. Where roads are paved with gold. How can this be when immigrants are treated with suspicion and unfriendliness? How can this be if one person does something wrong, then everyone else in that category is automatically untrusted and blamed as well? If Americans took into consideration that if one apple has gone bad, the rest of the orchard isn’t infested with worms either; then maybe this atrocious Executive act would not have been passed. Maybe then, 127,000 Japanese immigrants wouldn’t be sent to internment camps in secluded mountains. If America had taken the situation into consideration and noticed the peace that the Japanese Americans took with them to the U.S.A., then maybe this crisis wouldn’t be appearing in History books, maybe immigrants would be seen with a positive connotation. If some consideration and thought were given to the matter, the Executive Act 9066 wouldn’t have been signed at all. All in all, fear, discrimination, and in consideration led to the passing of Executive Order 9066. If America had thought about their situation long back when, and how natives treated them when they first arrived in a new country, then this conundrum never would’ve happened. Next time fear is the trigger for fast, unthoughtful actions, remember, one bad apple doesn’t mean that the whole orchard has rotted as well.