how did americans react to Japanese americans after the attack on pearl harbor?
Most Americans have learned about the terrible attack on Pearl harbor. However, it is little known what the climate of America was like post-attack. This question explores the tension in America at the time, and how the government reacted.
Internment of Japanese Americans
This website is credible because it has functioning hyperlinks, is up to date, last edited May 9, 2014, and has a list of references.
Pearl Harbor and the Japanese Americans: Another Sort of Infamy
This website is credible because it is put forth by an organization with the sole aim of educating the public, it is up to date, with a copyright to 2014, and has a bibliography.
Japanese-American Relocation
This website is credible because it has functioning hyperlinks, is current, with a copyright for 2014, and has organization contact information.
My Findings!
How Did Americans to Japanese Americans After the Attack on Pearl Harbor?
Website #1 focuses specifically on Japanese internment, which occurred and was enforced after the attack on Pearl Harbor. "The U.S. government ordered the internment in 1942, shortly after Imperial Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor" (website #1). This internment was not equal throughout the United States however. "The internment of Japanese Americans was applied unequally as a geographic matter" (website #1). Japanese Americans on the East Coast were all interned, none were allowed to live outside of the camps. However, only a portion of the Japanese Americans living in Hawaii were interned, which is slightly ironic. Later on, after all Japanese Americans had been freed, the American government could find little evidence of any Japanese disloyalty at that time. "In 1980, under mounting pressure from the Japanese American Citizen's League and redress organizations, President Jimmy Carter opened an investigation to determine whether the need to put Japanese Americans into internment camps had been justified by the government... The commission's report... found little evidence of Japanese disloyalty at the time" (website #1). Although Japanese internment was not necessary, that was not known at the time, and the internment was understandable and justifiable.
Website #2 focuses more on how America responded to the Japanese Americans in the military, who wanted to help prevent another attack. "First, it is worth noting that Japanese Americans do have an important connection to the Pearl Harbor attack" (website #2). This passage shows the injustice of what happened with the Japanese Americans in the military. The government acted out of fear, and not evidence. "Young men rushed to join the United States Army, but the War Department immediately froze Nisei enlistments, and almost all of the recruits were refused" (website #2). This shows that even though there was no proof these men were conspiring against the government, they were not allowed to serve their country. They were refused, and by doing so the government dishonored some men who could have assisted in the saving of lives. " A group of craven and ambitious military officers in the Western Defense Command denounced Japanese Americans as potential spies and saboteurs for Tokyo. They were joined by powerful nativist and commercial lobbying groups who had a firm self-interest in removing their nonwhite competitors, and by a set of their opportunistic political representatives" (website #2). This shows that there were many reasons the Japanese were interned, besides National Security. Different groups of people had their own agendas, but their motives were not all clean.
Website #3 mainly focuses on the negative of Japanese-American internment during World War II. "The relocation of Japanese-Americans into internment camps during World War II was one of the most flagrant violations of civil liberties in American history" (website #3). This passage is true, if circumstances were repeated in modern day, it is doubt-able the U.S. government would respond the same way it did. The actions of the U.S. government were extreme, and could hardly be justified. "After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941, rumors spread, fueled by race prejudice, of a plot among Japanese-Americans to sabotage the war effort" (website #3). This passage suggests that the internment of the Japanese was strongly affected by racial prejudice, and not actual evidence. If this is true, as it may well be, it only adds to the disgrace of the injustices caused by the U.S. government at that time. "In 1988, Congress awarded restitution payments of twenty thousand dollars to each survivor of the camps; it is estimated that about 73,000 persons will eventually receive this compensation for the violation of their liberties" (website #3). This passage shows that the U.S. government accepted their actions as wrong, and sought to amend their actions. Twenty Thousand dollars might be a lot of money for an individual, but is still barely fixes the injustices of the internment of the Japanese.
Website #2 focuses more on how America responded to the Japanese Americans in the military, who wanted to help prevent another attack. "First, it is worth noting that Japanese Americans do have an important connection to the Pearl Harbor attack" (website #2). This passage shows the injustice of what happened with the Japanese Americans in the military. The government acted out of fear, and not evidence. "Young men rushed to join the United States Army, but the War Department immediately froze Nisei enlistments, and almost all of the recruits were refused" (website #2). This shows that even though there was no proof these men were conspiring against the government, they were not allowed to serve their country. They were refused, and by doing so the government dishonored some men who could have assisted in the saving of lives. " A group of craven and ambitious military officers in the Western Defense Command denounced Japanese Americans as potential spies and saboteurs for Tokyo. They were joined by powerful nativist and commercial lobbying groups who had a firm self-interest in removing their nonwhite competitors, and by a set of their opportunistic political representatives" (website #2). This shows that there were many reasons the Japanese were interned, besides National Security. Different groups of people had their own agendas, but their motives were not all clean.
Website #3 mainly focuses on the negative of Japanese-American internment during World War II. "The relocation of Japanese-Americans into internment camps during World War II was one of the most flagrant violations of civil liberties in American history" (website #3). This passage is true, if circumstances were repeated in modern day, it is doubt-able the U.S. government would respond the same way it did. The actions of the U.S. government were extreme, and could hardly be justified. "After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941, rumors spread, fueled by race prejudice, of a plot among Japanese-Americans to sabotage the war effort" (website #3). This passage suggests that the internment of the Japanese was strongly affected by racial prejudice, and not actual evidence. If this is true, as it may well be, it only adds to the disgrace of the injustices caused by the U.S. government at that time. "In 1988, Congress awarded restitution payments of twenty thousand dollars to each survivor of the camps; it is estimated that about 73,000 persons will eventually receive this compensation for the violation of their liberties" (website #3). This passage shows that the U.S. government accepted their actions as wrong, and sought to amend their actions. Twenty Thousand dollars might be a lot of money for an individual, but is still barely fixes the injustices of the internment of the Japanese.