Bearing America’s Misconduct
In “Remarks on Signing the Bill Providing Restitution for the Wartime Internment of Japanese American Civilians” by Ronald Reagan and “An Apology” by Kevin Gover, both passages give argument on how the existing government bears responsibility for its historical misconducts. First in the speech by President Ronald Reagan, he addresses how the American government is to this day still held accountable for their past actions towards people from Japanese ancestry living in the United States when the government forcibly removed them from their homes, placed them in makeshift internment camps without trial or a reasonable justification. Then in the second speech by, Assistant of Indian Affairs Department of the Interior, Kevin Gover, the speaker
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In the second paragraph of Ronald Reagan’s, the speaker states that we must recognize the internment of Japanese Americans was more than a mistake. The speaker means that the government tries to justify the internment by expressing that everything that happened during the war including the misconducts were ways that American was “struggling for survival”. Also in paragraph two, Reagan says “ The 442nd Regimental Combat Team, made up entirely of Japanese Americans, served with immense distinction to defend this nation, their nation, Yet back at home, the soldiers’ families were being denied the very freedom for which so many soldiers themselves were laying down their lives.” Then in paragraph four, the speaker says, “The legislation that I am about to sign provides for a restitution payment to each of the 60,000 surviving Japanese Americans…who were relocation or retained. Yet no payment can make up for those lost
In conclusion, I am against the US putting Japanese in internment camps because half of the japanese didn't have nothing to do with it. They were living in bad conditions.And the weather didn't make it better. The last thing is they were treated like real prisoners. Which wasn’t right for the US to do. They say our country is the land of the free but they didn’t give the “Japs”
Thesis: The reason as to why the Canadian Government apologized to Japanese Canadians, was for the internment and POW camps the Japanese were placed in making them endure pain and suffering, discrimination, and losing everything, following the attack on Pearl Harbor.
On August 10, 1988 Ronald Reagan gave a speech before signing the Bill of Restitution. He gave this speech after the surprised bombing in Pearl Harbor, which made the American people look at Japanese citizens a different
WWII brought on a lot of social changes for many types of people, especially minorities in America. Japanese citizens in America around the coastal areas or military bases were forced to sell their homes and shops, to go to live in internment camps. The U.S. government tried to sell the idea that it was to protect Japanese Americans and send the out of harm’s way, when in actuality it was more because of the fear Americans had in the Japanese, especially since they looked different. (Document 2) The discrimination within many people because Japanese Americans were so easily identifiable is why that group of people were specifically interned and why German or Italian Americans weren’t. The government tried to make it seem like Japanese Americans were happy to leave their homes to live in the government camps set up for them to live in during the war. Women also
Located on the third floor of the National Museum of American History, "A More Perfect Union" documents the forced relocation of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II. The exhibit focuses on the violation of constitutional rights that occurred during this process. The purposes of this review are as follows:
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the internment of Japanese Americans on the West coast of the United States. On going tension between the United States and Japan rose in the 1930’s due to Japan’s increasing power and because of this tension the bombing at Pearl Harbor occurred. This event then led the United States to join World War II. However it was the Executive Order of 9066 that officially led to the internment of Japanese Americans. Japanese Americans, some legal and illegal residents, were moved into internment camps between 1942-1946. The internment of Japanese Americans affected not only these citizens but the
By the time America paid reparations, and said their apologies to the Japanese, it was too late. Almost 50 years went by before reparations were paid. The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 was created in order to give all people that suffered in these camps $20,000 each, however only 82,000 out of 120,000 Japanese people were paid. With this act, the US realized that an injustice was done to Japanese Americans by the evacuation, relocation, and internment of civilians during World War II. By the time that reparations were paid and apologies were said, Americans of Japanese ancestry suffered enormous damages. The losses these people encountered were incalculable. All of which resulted in much suffering, for which appropriate compensation has not yet been made.
Imagine your government blaming you for the actions of the race you come from and them ultimately imprisoning you with no remorse. During WWII this situation happened to innocent Japanese Americans out of fear and prejudice. Americans put these innocent citizens in internment camps without solid evidence of them being spies and traitors.By the US acting on fear and prejudice we have damaged and harmed innocent Japanese Americans going against what America stands for and what is right.
Roger Daniels’ book Prisoners without Trial is another book that describes the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. This piece discusses about the background that led up to the internment, the internment itself, and what happened afterwards. The internment and relocation of Japanese-Americans during World War II was an injustice prompted by political and racial motivations. The author’s purpose of this volume is to discuss the story in light of the redress and reparation legislation enacted in 1988. Even though Daniels gives first hand accounts of the internment of Japanese Americans in his book, the author is lacking adequate citations and provocative quotations. It’s
Throughout history of not only the United States but also the world, racism has played a huge role in the treatment of other humans. A dark mark in United States history, the Japanese Relocation during WWII is a prime example of this racism coming into play. Whether or not this event was necessary or even justified, however, is a constant question for historians even nowadays. The Japanese relocation of the 1920’s unnecessary and unjustified because it’s main causes: selfish economic plots by farmers, unrealistic military measures, and blatant racism.
For over a century, the United States has been one of the most powerful and influential states on the globe. However, every nation has made mistakes in its past. Throughout our country’s history, certain groups have had to endure horrible injustices: the enslavement of African-Americans, the removal of Native Americans, and discrimination against immigrants, women, homosexuals, and every other minority. During World War II, the government crossed the line between defending the nation and violating human rights, when it chose to relocate Japanese residents to internment camps. The actions taken by the U.S. government against Japanese Americans and Japanese living in the
In World War II, 75 years ago devastation occurred to our country. This was the day of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the start of a war that will forever change our country. After chaos calmed down in the community our government decided to create Internment Camps. These camps were made for the removal of all Japanese descent people in the United States of America. Some people think that this was justice being served. That our own citizens were also traitors, who would betray us at any time. But others, say that this was wrongful, that this wasn’t justice, but pure cruelty. This essay will explain, why these dreadful camps were indeed wrong. Not only because it brought innocent people out of their homes, but because they were treated like America wasn’t their home, because of the internment camps, innocent families and children thought that they couldn’t do anything to stop the things that was happening around them. The war.
During WWII, after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, the United States, under Franklin D. Roosevelt, put all Japanese Americans in internment camps because they were seen as a threat to America's safety. Even though at the time, this was seen as a success to the white population since American Exceptionalism was prominent in society, later presidents soon realized the mistake of using Japanese Internment camps. American Exceptionalism was evident because FDR helped to led American and the world out of the Great Depression and the United States played a big role in helping the allied powers win in WWI. To attempt to fix the mistake of enforcing Japanese Internment camps, in the early 90's, George H. W. Bush made a speech to the ancestors of these Japanese Americans apologizing for the use of these camps and offered them money. Therefore, approximately fifty years later, the government realized the mistake they made by putting Japanese Americans into Internment camps at the start of WWII by giving a formal apology to the ancestors of these Americans which exemplifies the Bush Administration's character in a positive
Japanese American’s for the most part lived their lives in America as any other citizen; that is until the bombing of Pearl Harbor occurred. After the Japanese military attacked the U.S. without warning, the American people, as well as the government, became suspicious of those of Japanese descent. The thought that they could be spies, or terrorists, was a completely rational fear after what had occurred. What wasn’t rational, were the consequences suffered by those of Japanese descent living in America.
The Japanese-American Internment was a necessary choice, made by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It helped to make our nation secure during times of extreme emergency and it also helped the US government to keep their enemy under watch. “The story of how Japanese American soldiers from the war’s most highly decorated US military unit came to be there is just one part of a remarkable saga. It is also a story of one of the darkest periods in American history, one filled with hardship, sacrifice, courage, injustice, and finally, redemption. It began more than a hundred years ago” (Sandler, 2013, p. 6). At the turn of the 21st century began the immigration of the Japanese to America for various reasons, but all with one thing in mind: freedom. “We talked about America; we dreamt about America. We all had one wish – to be in America” (Sandler, 2013, p. 6). The decision by these many people was a grueling and tough decision, but they knew it would benefit them in the long run. “…like their European counterparts, they were willing to risk everything to begin life anew in what was regarded as a golden land of opportunity” (Sandler, 2013, p. 6). When they came to America, they were employed and were able to begin their new lives for the first part of it.