Japanese Internment Camps Research Paper
Essay Once “A special bulletin on the radio announced that the Japanese had mounted a surprise air attack on the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii” (Carnes 95). This action against the United States on December 7, 1941 by Japan cause racial prejudice and unrest in the United States. This event also lead to the making of laws that caused the creation of Japanese internment camps. The War Relocation Authority attempted to justify their actions against Japanese Americans in a couple of ways. “The action taken with respect to Japanese in this country is justifiable on the grounds of military necessity for several reasons” (Carnes 97). One reason that is stated is that “All Japanese look very much alike to a white person...” (Carnes 97).
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This reason alone is very racist and prejudice towards the Japanese population. I can agree with with the idea of protecting the country but the way it was carried out was immoral. Yes, I think that a country should be able to, during wartime, intern ‘enemy’ country citizens because we have to worry about the country’s safety. We should be able to intern them but the camps should not be as horrible as they were. They could make living quarters cleaner, and the staff more friendly to help interned people feel more at ease. But I could also see the other side of the argument. Interment is not always the best option. Another option is to put those who need to be watched under surveillance. This would prevent bitter feelings towards America by the Japanese who were put into camps.
Essay Two I think that Japanese Americans were interned differently from German Americans and Italian Americans because of Japan’s assault on our naval base and a place where America was in charge of defending. I believe that this made Japan seem like a larger threat because of their attack. This may have had an impact on how they were treated. I think that there are a couple of groups of people that are treated unjustly in today's society. These groups include homosexuals, muslims, and catholics. These groups of people are treated unjustly because of their beliefs and or their actions. “...Many Japanese Americans have been educated in Japan. Many, believers in Shintoism, worship the Emperor and regard his orders as superior to any other loyalty they may owe the United States” (Carnes 97). This is unjust because different people believe different things and it is not easy nor right to force another to believe what you might believe. I believe that these groups are being targeted because they are not what people think to be “right”, and different people have different views of the correct way to do things. Another reason for the unjust treatment is that what someone may do is just out of the ordinary for some people. For example, seeing a homosexual couple may baffle or just surprise someone who has never seen that before. and it may just seem strange because of lack of exposure to that. There are many events that are influencing the thoughts and actions of Americans toward other Americans. On event is when gay marriage was legalized in the United States. This caused increased spite of the LGBT community. A second event was that of the terrorist attacks in Europe and in the United States. This caused unrest and hate towards those who are of Muslim descent because of the terroristic threats by Muslims. There are a couple of things that influence my thoughts and actions towards others. Some of these things is how someone talks or acts towards others or family.
Essay Three Life for the Japanese Americans in the internment camps was not pleasant at all.
Thier living quarters were crowded and dirty, they had to eat old food and moldy bread. “Their new home was a horse stall” (Carnes 97). Interned Japanese Americans had to live in whatever was available at the time. Sometime this included dirty, and poorly cleaned buildings. “The officers passed out cloth sacks for everyone to fill with hay for mattresses” (Carnes 97). This quote shows that the Japanese Americans had to sleep on an uncomfortable and rough bed every night. The location of the first camp was in San Bruno, California. The people in the camps were treated poorly by others. There were only two people who were not Japanese Americans when Sox’s family was dropped off at the bus location, one of the two was Mrs. Perkins. This woman provided work for Nee when she needed it. The camps were not entirely safe for the Japanese Americans but were fenced off and guarded by armed men. This was more to prevent escape than to prevent from getting in. Sometimes the guards would think that someone is trying to escape because they are too close to the fence and would shoot first and ask questions later. Congress needed a way to attempt to repay those who were interned and decided that $20,000 to each surviving internee along with a formal apology from the Nation. I think that this is fair for the most part. Although these people lived in horrible conditions with little possessions they deserved to
be compensated. It must have been difficult to find a way to repay someone for doing what we did to Japanese Americans we tried to make things just a tad bit even and included a formal apology from the Nation.
This reason alone is very racist and prejudice towards the Japanese population. I can agree with with the idea of protecting the country but the way it was carried out was immoral. Yes, I think that a country should be able to, during wartime, intern ‘enemy’ country citizens because we have to worry about the country’s safety. We should be able to intern them but the camps should not be as horrible as they were. They could make living quarters cleaner, and the staff more friendly to help interned people feel more at ease. But I could also see the other side of the argument. Interment is not always the best option. Another option is to put those who need to be watched under surveillance. This would prevent bitter feelings towards America by the Japanese who were put into camps.
Essay Two I think that Japanese Americans were interned differently from German Americans and Italian Americans because of Japan’s assault on our naval base and a place where America was in charge of defending. I believe that this made Japan seem like a larger threat because of their attack. This may have had an impact on how they were treated. I think that there are a couple of groups of people that are treated unjustly in today's society. These groups include homosexuals, muslims, and catholics. These groups of people are treated unjustly because of their beliefs and or their actions. “...Many Japanese Americans have been educated in Japan. Many, believers in Shintoism, worship the Emperor and regard his orders as superior to any other loyalty they may owe the United States” (Carnes 97). This is unjust because different people believe different things and it is not easy nor right to force another to believe what you might believe. I believe that these groups are being targeted because they are not what people think to be “right”, and different people have different views of the correct way to do things. Another reason for the unjust treatment is that what someone may do is just out of the ordinary for some people. For example, seeing a homosexual couple may baffle or just surprise someone who has never seen that before. and it may just seem strange because of lack of exposure to that. There are many events that are influencing the thoughts and actions of Americans toward other Americans. On event is when gay marriage was legalized in the United States. This caused increased spite of the LGBT community. A second event was that of the terrorist attacks in Europe and in the United States. This caused unrest and hate towards those who are of Muslim descent because of the terroristic threats by Muslims. There are a couple of things that influence my thoughts and actions towards others. Some of these things is how someone talks or acts towards others or family.
Essay Three Life for the Japanese Americans in the internment camps was not pleasant at all.
Thier living quarters were crowded and dirty, they had to eat old food and moldy bread. “Their new home was a horse stall” (Carnes 97). Interned Japanese Americans had to live in whatever was available at the time. Sometime this included dirty, and poorly cleaned buildings. “The officers passed out cloth sacks for everyone to fill with hay for mattresses” (Carnes 97). This quote shows that the Japanese Americans had to sleep on an uncomfortable and rough bed every night. The location of the first camp was in San Bruno, California. The people in the camps were treated poorly by others. There were only two people who were not Japanese Americans when Sox’s family was dropped off at the bus location, one of the two was Mrs. Perkins. This woman provided work for Nee when she needed it. The camps were not entirely safe for the Japanese Americans but were fenced off and guarded by armed men. This was more to prevent escape than to prevent from getting in. Sometimes the guards would think that someone is trying to escape because they are too close to the fence and would shoot first and ask questions later. Congress needed a way to attempt to repay those who were interned and decided that $20,000 to each surviving internee along with a formal apology from the Nation. I think that this is fair for the most part. Although these people lived in horrible conditions with little possessions they deserved to
be compensated. It must have been difficult to find a way to repay someone for doing what we did to Japanese Americans we tried to make things just a tad bit even and included a formal apology from the Nation.