World War II : The Last Camps Of World War II

Finally, while many Americans of Japanese descent were being gathered into detention centers, others were fighting overseas. Over 30,000 Japanese Americans fought in World War II and these soldiers earned many medals and awards, even the Congressional Medal of Honor, while in service for the United States.

The imprisonment of Japanese Americans occurred because of their Japanese ancestry. The fear of the Japanese, also known as Anti-Japanese Paranoia, was a direct result of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Many Americans feared that Japanese descendants would remain loyal to and side with their home country (Japanese American Internment, 2008). The brink of war being just around the corner clouded American minds and led to quick decisions. America was paralyzed by fear in the midst of another World War, just years after the first. Lt. Gen. John L. DeWitt wrote, “The Japanese race is an enemy race, and while many second and third generation Japanese born on United States soil, possessed of United States citizenship, have become ‘Americanized,’ the racial strains are undiluted.” Like DeWitt, many Americans felt that all Japanese Americans were a threat, especially the Issei and Nisei. “Literally speaking, the Japanese terms Issei,

By December of 1941, the second World War had been raging across Europe for more than two years and the United States was already, but not officially, involved. Deteriorating conditions in Europe and continual advancement of Nazi victory across nations was certainly cause for global concern, though many Americans were still clinging to anti-war neutrality. However, America had already proved to be less than neutral, aiding Great Britain with weapons and the lend-lease act, clearly siding with the Allied powers. But official involvement without support of public opinion was rather tricky. So you could say that, for many European nations, this tragedy might have been cause for celebration, as it was bringing the battle right to America’s back doorstep, and could no longer be ignored. With an overwhelming public majority opposed to involvement in European conflict, it should have come as no surprise that Roosevelt would use this as an opportunity to rally Americans in a war against Japan, and ultimately Germany and the other Axis powers.

“Herd ‘em up, pack ‘em off, and give ‘em the inside room in the badlands”(Hearst newspaper column). Many Americans were feeling this way toward people of Japanese descent after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The feelings Americans were enduring were motivated largely by wartime hysteria, racial prejudice, and a failure of political leadership. The Japanese-Americans were being denied their constitutional rights, they were provided poor living conditions in these relocation camps, and by the time apologies and reparations were paid to the Japanese, it was too late.

As Curtis B. Munson said, “There is far more danger from communist and people of the bridges tupe on the coast than there is from Japanese” (Munson 2). He is stating that they, Japanese-Americans, aren’t causing any harm to the United States. They can’t classify a whole race for someone else's bad doing. The Nisei’s were not fighting them because they knew it had no good deed to it. A Japanese American, Fred Korematsu, was held upon a court hearing in 1944. He was segregated from the West because of fear (Black 4). As said on Document D, “Korematsu was not excluded from the military area because of hostility to him or his race. He was excluded because we are at war with the Japanese Empire, because...military authorities feared invasion of our West Coast…”(Black 4). They based their fear upon espionage, Japanese spies for Japan. during this war. It was morally wrong for them to be placed where millions were suffering with their family because of other people’s mistakes. American citizens were suffering at this time, but this was a part of war, which also includes immigrants suffering as well (Black 4). That then taking this to the next argument, Racial

During World War Two the lives of thousands of Japanese Americans were destroyed. On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed executive order 9066. Executive order 9066 ordered the removal of everyone in military areas. The order affected mostly the Japanese Americans because it sent them to internment camps. I do not believe President Roosevelt was justified in signing executive order 9066.

About 3,600 Japanese-Americans entered the army from the camps and about 22,000 others, who lived in places outside the relocation zone did as well. The all-Japanese 442nd Regimental Combat Team won numerous decorations for its deeds in Europe. As a result of the act 5,766 Japanese-American former prisoners repudiate their American citizenship because they had been sent to internment camps. Even though they were from Japanese descent, they were still legal American citizens and their rights had been violated. Some high in power people who helped issue that act said they “deeply regretted” the decision for the act of internment

World War II was an exceptional war for the United States. The United States emerged from the war as a world superpower and protector of all other nations. There were many reasons why the United States entered World War II, however President Franklin Roosevelt was in some way directly connected to every reason. Roosevelt wanted to enter World War II as soon as it started for political and economic needs. However, the American people did not want to enter in another war, such as World War I, that costs so many lives and money. Therefore, Roosevelt schemed a plan to enter the United States into World War II that would change the minds of the American people,

With such events occurring quickly in such a small time period, the second World War came as a massive shock. Yet again, Americans called for isolationism and neutrality as they believed America should focus on ending the Great Depression, not worrying about and dealing with the international issues of other nations and peoples. By analyzing Document 5, it is clear that many Americans still believe in isolationism during the Great Depression. Bennett Champ Clark states in his Defense of the First Neutrality Act that “the desire to keep the United States from becoming involved in any war between foreign nations seems practically unanimous among the rank and file of American citizens.” Americans influenced the US foreign policy yet again as the First Neutrality Act was passed in 1935. By analyzing Document 6, it is clear that President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the choices he made were still influenced by isolationist sentiment as he states in his Quarantine Speech that “it is my determination to adopt every practicable measure to avoid involvement in war.” However, it is clear in President Roosevelt's speech that he knew that entering the war was inevitable as he states that the “peace of the world and the welfare and security of every nation, including our own is today being threatened by that very thing (war).” Although the United States tried its best to not enter the second World War for many years, it could not avoided by the end of 1941. On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese. The federal government’s response to this attack can be analyzed in Document 7, President Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor Address to the Congress of the United States. In response to the attack, Roosevelt calls for Congress to “declare . . . a state of war has existed between the United States and the

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, President Roosevelt made the decision to relocate more than 100,000 Japanese and Japanese-Americans from their homes on the West Coast to camps around the country. The bombing of Pearl Harbor resulting in the death of 2,500 people and sharpened resentment towards Japanese Americans. The sense of panic people felt became racialized. As president, that person is the backbone of the country. When the backbone of the country gives way to popular opinion it sets a bad example for the rest of the world to see.

The U.S. decision to enter World War II was not one which was hastily made. World War I had been simmering for some time, over two years in fact, prior to the U.S. entrance into this bloody affair. Endless debate had occurred at all levels of our government, and even among the general population, to the appropriate role of the U.S. in this war. As one factor after another combined to make U.S. involvement more of a probability, one factor in particular would prove to be the final straw which would topple the decision making process from one of restraint to one of action. This factor was, of course, the Japanese bombing at Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor was attacked on the morning of December 7, 1941 and would prove to be Japan’s greatest mistake, a mistake for which the consequences would extend throughout the war and well into Japan’s post-war future. More immediately, however, it would serve to drop the restraint which the U.S. had maintained as the war had raged on in Europe for over two years. The U.S. would have entered WWII even if the Japanese did not attack Pearl Harbor. The axis powers, Germany and Italy, were gaining to much power in Europe and then Japan decided that they were going to join with the axis powers, this was not settling well with the U.S.

After the raid on Pearl Harbor, there were still about 120,000 Japanese-Americans living in the United States. In order to prevent panic and hysteria against Japanese-Americans, President Roosevelt ordered that 110,000 Japanese pack their things and move to internment camps for the nation’s safety. After this, ordinary Americans turned their backs to their Japanese-American friends. There was a sudden prejudice and fear of these people, who in fact posed a minimal threat. According to Holt McDougal’s The Americans, “about two thirds were Nisei, or Japanese people born in this country of parents who emigrated from Japan” (McDougal). Nisei had American nationalities, many had never stepped foot on Japanese soil, but the American people believed that these true Americans were loyal to a nation they had never even laid eyes on, purely because their President had told them

For starters, the Executive Order helped to calm tensions building in America against political and military members as well as himself. This ease of tension allowed America to formulate tactics that they could use to defeat Japan and its allies. In addition, the order insured the safety of supplies, weapons and ships located in the western part of the country. Without FDR’s actions and issuing the orders he did, the outcome of the war could have been very different. Prior to the war, during the great depression, FDR immediately began to instill public confidence in the country through his actions and his direct speaking to his people through his fireside chats, saying in his inaugural speech “The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself”. Through the course of the war and his term in office FDR openly participated in military planning sessions and acted as a visionary, bringing new ideas to the country, ideas of change. FDR’s role and issuing of Executive Order 9066 was critical for the outcome of the war and helped to ensure America’s safety, repress their fears back home and give their troops morale to fight in the war and achieve victory. His actions gave the American people, especially the troops fighting for America’s safety, hope. Hope that their country still held power, hope that their families were safe, hope that for the most part,

During World War 2 there were so many chaoses around the world. One of the most outrageous events that happened is the internment of Germans. The U.S. should have never brought up the idea of sending Germans and Americans with German background in internment camps just because they were with Germany. There were too many Germans living in the U.S., many of them were loyal to the U.S. and were against the Nazis, and they were being discriminated without providing a real reason.

They had horrible living conditions in the barracks, with straw beds and they were overcrowded. Many people died and suffered from sickness and starvation. There were many diseases at the concentration camps. The Jews were harshly abused and were killed in horrible ways such as, gas chambers, shooting, poison, and from working too much and being too tired and weak. Two-thirds of the people living in Europe were killed by the Nazis. There were many Jews, but there were Gypsies, Polish people, Russians, homosexuals, disabled people, Jehovah's witnesses, and more too. Hitler only wanted blue eyed, blonde hair