On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet Summary
December 7, 1941 the United States entered World war II due to the attack of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii by the Empire of Japan. War entrance was not the only result of this vicious attack that devastated Americans. On February 19, 1942 two months after the U.S. declared war on the Axis powers, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order no. 9066. This order gave the United states the right to designate areas from which persons may be excluded. Therefore, this made it legal to detain Japanese Americans who lived in the United States and put them into internment camps. 120,000 ethnic Japanese were relocated to areas inland. The attack on Pearl Harbor left Americans with hysteria and fear, which triggered internment camps of Japanese Americans. Today, Executive Order no. 9066 is one of the most controversial things looked upon in America's history. Historians, Americans, and Japanese review the historical episode and re-examine their ideas about the history of the U.S. and the lessons it teaches today. Although there are opposing thoughts, Japanese internment camps during WWII were vital and extremely necessary for the U.S. because
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Americans needed homeland security, democracy, and freedom. After the unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor, Americans felt not only Japan, but Japanese living in the United States were a major threat to America as a country. Homeland security was a major part in the decision to detain Japanese Americans during WWII. The government, along with many citizens, longed for the need of protection against such a powerful force at the time. Fueling this need for national security, was when Americans shockingly found out that during the Pearl Harbor attack, two Americans from Japanese ancestry had collaborated with a soldier from Japan and some Hawaiians. The United States government improved national security and the fear of espionage after this, by setting up internment camps for the Japanese. Arms and contraband were found by the FBI raids on businesses and homes of Japanese. These internment camps were located in the mountains of Idaho, deserts of Arizona and backwater towns in the South. Before, many Japanese had lived near the coast, which imposed a huge risk that there could be an overthrowing or another suprise attack on the United States. During WWII, national security was very important and Japanese internment camps helped make sure that national security was in tip top shape. Democracy has always given Americans freedom, along with pride and joy in their country. Through Red Scares, and threats of new governments, the United States has consistently stuck with capitalism and democracy. During World War II, the days of Democracy looked as if they were numbered in a new world order. Americans feared that Japan would take over. The danger in this time was imminent and immediate. Internment camps decreased the likelihood in sabotage from a race like the Japanese. The government wanted to ensure that every Japanese American was completely loyal to the United States of America. There was no time to weed out the loyal Japanese from the disloyal. In 1944, the Supreme Court ruled in Korematsu v. United States that Executive Order no.9066 was constitutional, stating that the need to protect against espionage outweighed the individual rights of Americans from Japanese descent. The committee concluded that the Japanese were placed in camps because they posed a threat to national security and lessened the chance of sabotage and espionage. This court case judged in a time of war hysteria and Americans saw no wrongful doing in the final decision in this case. In the book, On The Corner of Bitter and Sweet, the author, Jamie Ford takes you through the life of a young couple of different race and their journey through harsh times like WWII and the internment camps.
Through these difficult times, the reader is exposed to the conditions around 1945. Japanese Americans had to be relocated, but still had many opportunities in these camps. In fact, it's noted that over two hundred individuals voluntarily chose to move into the camps. The ones who did not made the best out of their situation. Sports teams, dance classes, school, and religious buildings were all implemented into the internment camps. Some individuals even qualified for job opportunities. Many Japanese who showed loyalty to the U.S. were rewarded. Japanese Americans began to live a life of exclusion without many
problems. Today, many Americans are ashamed of the relocation policy that robbed Japanese Americans of their constitutional rights. However, the relocation policy enjoyed widespread popular support during the war, in part because of the aforementioned propaganda. In fact at the time, many complained that the government was not doing enough to prevent another attack. During pressured times like this, decisions are made that cannot be reversed. During WWII “the survival of the nation came first.” The necessity of the war made this Executive Order during the time reasonable because Americans were engulfed in a nightmare. Internment camps for the Japanese were vital and necessary during World War II. Japan and their people were very aggressive and many Americans feared them due to racial prejudices. Japanese living in America was a major threat to the U.S. “Given what was known and not known at the time,” President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his staff did the right thing. Although, frowned upon by most today, this time in history has taught a valuable lesson and informed the country to not repeat what has been done to the Japanese during the brutal WWII era.
Americans needed homeland security, democracy, and freedom. After the unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor, Americans felt not only Japan, but Japanese living in the United States were a major threat to America as a country. Homeland security was a major part in the decision to detain Japanese Americans during WWII. The government, along with many citizens, longed for the need of protection against such a powerful force at the time. Fueling this need for national security, was when Americans shockingly found out that during the Pearl Harbor attack, two Americans from Japanese ancestry had collaborated with a soldier from Japan and some Hawaiians. The United States government improved national security and the fear of espionage after this, by setting up internment camps for the Japanese. Arms and contraband were found by the FBI raids on businesses and homes of Japanese. These internment camps were located in the mountains of Idaho, deserts of Arizona and backwater towns in the South. Before, many Japanese had lived near the coast, which imposed a huge risk that there could be an overthrowing or another suprise attack on the United States. During WWII, national security was very important and Japanese internment camps helped make sure that national security was in tip top shape. Democracy has always given Americans freedom, along with pride and joy in their country. Through Red Scares, and threats of new governments, the United States has consistently stuck with capitalism and democracy. During World War II, the days of Democracy looked as if they were numbered in a new world order. Americans feared that Japan would take over. The danger in this time was imminent and immediate. Internment camps decreased the likelihood in sabotage from a race like the Japanese. The government wanted to ensure that every Japanese American was completely loyal to the United States of America. There was no time to weed out the loyal Japanese from the disloyal. In 1944, the Supreme Court ruled in Korematsu v. United States that Executive Order no.9066 was constitutional, stating that the need to protect against espionage outweighed the individual rights of Americans from Japanese descent. The committee concluded that the Japanese were placed in camps because they posed a threat to national security and lessened the chance of sabotage and espionage. This court case judged in a time of war hysteria and Americans saw no wrongful doing in the final decision in this case. In the book, On The Corner of Bitter and Sweet, the author, Jamie Ford takes you through the life of a young couple of different race and their journey through harsh times like WWII and the internment camps.
Through these difficult times, the reader is exposed to the conditions around 1945. Japanese Americans had to be relocated, but still had many opportunities in these camps. In fact, it's noted that over two hundred individuals voluntarily chose to move into the camps. The ones who did not made the best out of their situation. Sports teams, dance classes, school, and religious buildings were all implemented into the internment camps. Some individuals even qualified for job opportunities. Many Japanese who showed loyalty to the U.S. were rewarded. Japanese Americans began to live a life of exclusion without many
problems. Today, many Americans are ashamed of the relocation policy that robbed Japanese Americans of their constitutional rights. However, the relocation policy enjoyed widespread popular support during the war, in part because of the aforementioned propaganda. In fact at the time, many complained that the government was not doing enough to prevent another attack. During pressured times like this, decisions are made that cannot be reversed. During WWII “the survival of the nation came first.” The necessity of the war made this Executive Order during the time reasonable because Americans were engulfed in a nightmare. Internment camps for the Japanese were vital and necessary during World War II. Japan and their people were very aggressive and many Americans feared them due to racial prejudices. Japanese living in America was a major threat to the U.S. “Given what was known and not known at the time,” President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his staff did the right thing. Although, frowned upon by most today, this time in history has taught a valuable lesson and informed the country to not repeat what has been done to the Japanese during the brutal WWII era.