Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Japanese Internment Camps
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 hysteria in America about the Japanese heightened. On February 19, 1942 President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 which ordered all 120,000 Americans of Japanese desecent, who had never shown disloyalty to America, to move to internment camps, or as they were officially called, "relocation centers." These internment camps had extremely poor living conditions and people could only leave if they enlisted in the US Army. Roosevelt justified his action by making the assumption that people of Japanese descent could be spying for Japan. However, during the course of the war, only ten people were discovered as spies, and they were all Caucasion. Roosevelt also relocated descendants of other "alien enemies" including Germans and Italians based on the idea that he was protecting the country. Do you agree with Roosevelt's action to establish internment camps? And do you think that the American people try to look past the idea that at one point there were basically concentration camps functioning on American soil?
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The idea that concentration camps existed on our soil compares to the Trail of Tears in the history of America that AMericans would like to forget. BOth were so tragic and radical. Its hard to see why they were both done. Although FDR was trying to protect America i think his interment camp idea was very harsh and unneccessary. The US Defense Dep. found spies of other descent such as the ten Caucasians, so why would they have to put the Japanese-Americans in camps to find potential spies of Japanese-descent.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about the relocation of Italians and Germans, I haven't heard much about this at all. Is there more information? how widespread was it? Was it into internment camps, or more just moving away from certain areas?
ReplyDeleteI definitely think that FDR took it too far when he decided that 120,000 people of Japanese descent needed to be placed in internment camps. Like Max, I understand why he did it. He had a lot of stress on him and a lot of pressure on him to keep the country safe. However, part of protecting the people would be protecting those of Japanese descent too, which he clearly failed to do. The unnecessary hysteria was something that he should have been discouraging, not putting into effect. As we've talked about earlier in the year the U.S. is often called a melting pot. I think it's funny how sometimes we embrace our diversity and other times we reject it, like what FDR did.
ReplyDeleteI can see where FDR is getting the idea from, but i agree it is not justafiable. It is hard to see that a country that has such free beliefs could encounter such a situation. It is very similar to what sweatshops are to us today. While they are illegal in America other countries use them shamlessly. FDR should have had more faith in the citizens of America and believed that they would not betray their country. These camps that he set up sent the wrong message to the citizens and it gave non-Japanese citizens fear that could have been avoided. Before putting them in unsanitary camps FDR should have thought his plans through and relalized that he was letting this attack get the best of his humane sanity.
ReplyDeleteI think it's wrong that Americans remember what Hitler did to Germany and forget what FDR did to Japanese Americans. Although, it wasn't done out of hatred or on as large a scale, it was still done. It's easy for people to judge what happens in another country, but Americans need to remember that we put Japanese Americans into camps. People definitely look past it and it's not remembered at all as much as it should be. I think it's ironic that the ten spies that were found were Caucasion.
ReplyDeleteThe Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) monitored about 20 internment camps during WWII. Germans and Italians were relocated to these internment camps, but on a much smaller scale than the Japanese. In Crystal City, Texas, about 3000 Germans and Italians were mostly taken from Latin America and interned.
ReplyDeletethat makes sense Kristen, as we talked about Italians actually being very likely to end up in Latin America in the second wave of immigration.
ReplyDeleteFDR was not justified in his actions of putting people of Japanese descent in internment camps. The US may have been fearful of the Japanese at this time, but this was taking away rights. America was founded on freedom and is one of our most important values. The construction of internment camps defied American values. Even the US Government realized the mistake that had been made of omitting relevant information when judging the case of Korematsu v. United States and decided to overturn Korematsu's original conviction. By creating these internment camps, FDR was acting too socialistic for a democratic nation.
ReplyDeleteMaybe in the few seconds after learning about the Pearl Harbor bombings did FDR's thoughts have merit. After the bombing, there was most likely a lot of freaking out, and uncertainty and FDR needed a solution. But, the attack on Pearl Harbor can be compared to 9/11, and the way America treated Japanese can be compared to the discrimination against Muslims. After Pearl Harbor, Japanese citizens were treated horribly by the government, not just other citizens, and it was based solely on fear and discrimination, and FDR was wrong to enforce the prejudice.
ReplyDeleteI think jackie makes a good point comparing 9/11 and the internment camps. It is interesting that people got mad because the CHinese get interned, but where as there are stereotypes for Muslims, unfortunatley, do you thtink or have you found any info about possible interment camps that occured around 9/11?
ReplyDeleteI think that Jackie and Max have a good point. There were no Muslim internment camps after 9/11. this is probably because during WWII and the japanese internment camps, americans went along with the idea because they were afraid of disloyalty. They also had no idea of the camps in Germany because there was no way to broadcast the horrific scenes from one country to another in so little time. Now, however, we all know what happened in the camps. Pictures and gruesome videos have been documented and shown to the public to show what Germany was capable of, and how it was one of the worst genocides in history. If America tried to do that now, people would automatically rebel, openly displaying a feeling of disgust with the idea America might be the location of the next Holocaust. Also, as we learned in class, people in that time were okay with the idea if internment camps because out of the 3 kinds, they are the least cruel. If we had put Japanese in concentration camps or even extermination camps, then America would have gotten a worse reputation.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there are now stereotypes against Muslims because of 9/11. People were afraid of all Japanese people just because they were Japanese and the country was overreacting to that particular nationality. We should have been watching everyone because anyone can be a traitor or spy. Last year i watched Andersonville which is a Civil War movie about camps that prisoners of war go to. They are just as disgusting and terrifying as internment camps, There was forced labor, no food, dirty water, and people dying everyday. The reason we focus so much on this one internment camp instead of war camps because it focused on one nationality
ReplyDeleteFDR did go too far and pushed the limits when it came to these "relocation camps". Like Shawna, I do understand why he enforced it. FDR was trying to "retaliate" to Japan, but he wanted to protect the US, just like any other President. Since that year, stereotyping is concerned "normal". I agree with Meghan, that stereotyping against Muslims since 9/11 is common, especially in airports. FDR was blinded, when he thought that only the Japanese was a threat. FDR should have questioned all races. Anybody can be a betray their country.
ReplyDeleteThe interment camps were too far for FDR to go to try and control the paranoia of the Japanese being spies for the Axis. So much so that America was so embarassed by his action that in 1988, President George Bush Sr. compensated teh families of those affected by giving them money and his apologies. I bet the administration who had to give all that money was not too happy with FDR's rash decision.
ReplyDeleteAmericans were fearful of the Japanese after Pearl Harbor, but FDR did make a rash decision. Jenna's right when she said that his decision of internment camps for the Japanese took away certain rights. This is ironic how rights were being taken away, when the United States was founded upon freedom. The Declaration of Independence warns against powers that are centralized within one persons' hands.
ReplyDeleteAs GIna said FDR took the Japanese rights away. From class we have been talking about how FDR might have had to much power and acting like a dictator almost. This adds to his power. He took away some American's rights. Maybe he was doing what he needed to for the time but maybe he had way to much power and needed to be controlled.
ReplyDeleteI disagree Meghan FDR was doing what he had to to appease the masses during the time. He did have a lot of power, but that was necessary to protect America in the war. By putting Japanese in camps, it was wrong to take away rights, but it also put a lot of Americans at ease because they were worried about disloyalty. American's might have been a lot worse to Japanese after Pearl Harbor, so putting them in camps was a way for FDR to almost gain approval from Americans and show the people that he would do whatever he had to to make sure America stayed safe in the war.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sophie, that although the Japanese were put into internment camps, the Americans' minds were eased. However, the Japanese rights were taken away. Today, this would never happen because since the United States is made up of all races, many would rebel if a President decided to put one race in an internment camp.
ReplyDeleteI think that FDR used his power way too quickly. The fact that he distrusted anyone of Japanese descent is, to a degree, understandable, but that he decided to just put them all in camps to avoid internal dissent is a bit much. As Sophie said, he did it to appease Americans, and then the Korematsu case proved the camps to be constitutional, which really shows how much Americans feared Japanese. FDR was acting based on other people, but he went too far.
ReplyDeletePutting the Japanese into camps definitely eased the Americans minds. It does not make it alright though. Maybe at the time it seemed like the right thing to do but then President Bush had to pay the families for the governments wrongdoings. If the government had to pay for something they did it's not alright.
ReplyDeleteI don't think America should forget about having internment camps in the United States. America realized taking rights away from Japanese Americans wasn't right. The camps need to be remembered so America can learn from the mistake they made. While the camps went no where near as far as German consentration camps, they still took away rights that are suppose to be guaranteed when you are an American citizen.
ReplyDeleteUnder no circumstances should people's rights be supressed. In America this should be especially important because our ancestors fought hard for our freedom and our rights. I understand that FDR was concerned that because of their background they could have connections to the Japanese government, but he should have handled it in a different manner. Instead of holding them in a camp he could have interviewed them and assesed their respones. Although it could be time constraining it could have saved a lot of trouble that the government would face in the future.
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