The Parallels Of Japanese Internees And American Pows

World War Two was a rough time for the US. Along with Louie Zamperini and Miné Okubo. The novel Unbroken written by Laura Hillenbrand, is based on the time period of WWII. WWII was between Japan and America. Zamperini was an Olympian who went into the air forces, once war broke out. In the article The Life Of Miné Okubo, Okubo was a Japanese-American who grew up in America and was put into a camp once Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Both Louie Zamperini and Miné Okubo struggled to get by during the war, but they managed. Zamperini and Okubo resist invisibility, and dehumanization the camps try to put them through, and have resistance against World War Two, as they fight for their lives.

From 1937 to the end of world war 2 (WWII), Japan killed over 3,000,000 Prisoners of war(POWs). Some POWs including Louie Zamperini had escaped death from these camps. Back in America, Japanese-Americans, like Jeanne Wakatsuki had to face racial discrimination in the Japanese internment camps. This all happened because on December 7, 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Louie Zamperini from Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, is an Olympic running who joined the Air Force after WWII broke out. Jeanne Wakatsuki from Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, is a Japanese-American that lives in America during WWII. Louie Zamperini and Jeanne Wakatsuki’s experiences from being a POW are very similar yet different in their involvement throughout the war, their resilience during the war, and their struggles after the war.

Laura Hillenbrand’s biography titled Unbroken recounts the life of Louie Zamperini and major events that occurred throughout it. Hillenbrand’s purpose was to emphasize the inspirational story of heroic Zamperini as he qualified and participated in the Olympics, as well as describe the endless struggle of pain in the plane crash and in the Japanese POW camps. She also portrays the importance of dignity and resilience and how without it, the chances of surviving the cruel events Louie experienced during World War II would have been minimal.

Sergeant Louis zamperini from WWll stated ¨Where there´s still life there's still hope¨ he stuck with it will spending three years in a Japanese prison camp. Louie and mine okubo were both held against their will by japan and the U.S.A in complete different condition and under different circumstances. In spite of the Japanese and American governments to make POWS and Japanese-American internees feel invisible, they use these acts of dehumanization and isolation to regain their self-worth and dignity.

The autobiography illustrates personal experiences of discrimination and prejudice while also reporting the political occurrences during the United States’ involvement in World War II. After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the United States government unleashed unrestrained contempt for the Japanese residing in the nation. The general public followed this train of thought, distrusting the Japanese and treating them like something less than human. In a country of freedom and justice, no coalition stepped up to defend the people who had lived there most of or all of their lives; rather, people took advantage of the Japanese evacuation to take their property and belongings. The government released demeaning propaganda displaying comical Japanese men as monsters and rats, encouraging the public to be vigilant and wary toward anyone of Japanese descent. The abuse of the Japanese during this period was taken a little too lightly, the government apologizing too late and now minor education of the real cruelty expressed toward the nation’s own citizens. Now we see history repeating itself in society, and if we don’t catch the warning signs today, history may just come full

It is customary for community members to thank American veterans for their service. Unfortunately, the same respect was not given to people of color during the World War II era. If one was a Japanese American veteran, they returned home treated, still, as potential traitors; if one was Mexican American, they risked fighting alongside the same Marines who stripped them of their dignity in the streets. John Okada’s 1957 novel No-No Boy tells the story of a young Japanese American man, Ichiro, who refused to join the military when prompted to stay in the internment camps of the 1940s, choosing instead to spend two years in jail.

With someone with such an exciting life who goes from a boy who is mischievous to an Olympic runner, and finally a captive in a far away land, why have they never taught about Louie before? Louie Zamperini’s life really started as a mischievous boy, but not the usual bad like punching your siblings, no like way worse… he smoked, popped his teacher's car tires, and stole any food from his neighbors that he could. After his brother seeing his potential in running he trained him and soon, HE’S RUNNING IN FRONT OF HITLER! Really Louie Zamperini is showing that he was very mischievous and very strong willed throughout the entire book.

Mary Matsuda Gruenewald, Looking Like the Enemy: My Story of Imprisonment in Japanese American Internment Camps

The United States of America a nation known for allowing freedom, equality, justice, and most of all a chance for immigrants to attain the American dream. However, that “America” was hardly recognizable during the 1940’s when President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, ordering 120,000 Japanese Americans to be relocated to internment camps. As for the aftermath, little is known beyond the historical documents and stories from those affected. Through John Okada’s novel, No-No Boy, a closer picture of the aftermath of the internment is shown through the events of the protagonist, Ichiro. It provides a more human perspective that is filled with emotions and connections that are unattainable from an ordinary historical document.

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

Japanese-Americans and Americans felt invisible in many ways because of the way they were treated and relocation or POW camps. Once the Japanese-American families were at a relocation camp they had to go through an interview with the Government workers. “As a result of the interview,” she wrote, “my family name was reduced to No. 13660. I was given several tags bearing the family number, and was then dismissed” (Okubo, 19) This shows that MIne feels invisible because she got her name taken away and reduced to a five digit number. When POWs got to the camp in Ofuna no one was allowed to talk or look at other prisoners, if they did they would be beaten by a guard. “There were dozens of men in cells near him, but there was no sound. In this warren

officials eventually began to recruit these internees into the American army. Not only was WWII a war about political alliances and geographical sovereignty, but it was also a war about race and racial superiority throughout the world. Propagating this idea, Dower (1986) argues, “World War Two contributed immeasurably not only to a sharpened awareness of racism within the United States, but also to more radical demands and militant tactics on the part of the victims of discrimination” (War Without Mercy: p.5). In elucidating the racial motivations and fallout from WWII, Dower helps one realize the critical role that race and racial politics played during the war and are still at play in our contemporary world. An analysis of this internment process reveals how the ultimate goal of the U.S. internment of Japanese Americans and the United States’ subsequent occupation of Japan was to essentially “brainwash” the Japanese race into demonstrating allegiance to America.

Wakatsuki-Houston presents an insightful portrayal of the Japanese-American internment camp in California known as Manzanar. She describes how her life changed throughout the experience as she grew from child to young woman. She captivates the reader's attention with intermittent interviews, describing the seemingly constant turmoil that each prisoner faced.

Japanese-American internees and the Prisoner of War were constrained to feel “invisible” to the world. Louie and other Prisoners of War (POW), were held in captivity in Ofuna, POWs were enforced by Japanese to feel invisible, as an example they were not allowed to conversate with each other because they might give information out that Japanese tried to keep,”There were dozens of men in cells near him, but there was no sound. In this warren of captives, Louie was alone” (Hillenbrand, 147),What this is showing is isolation, Louie and the other Prisoners of War (POW) were isolated from each other, if they were to talk to another they’ll get harsh beatings from the Japanese. Mine and her brother, were both isolated from people around them, even

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.