Transcript File

Racism & Hysteria:
The Ugly Side of
WWII
DISCRIMINATION
 Segregation
still in effect
– Military & biz still discriminated &
segregated races
 Slow
progress made for civil
rights
 Racial tensions erupt w/ “zootsuit riot” - 1943
WAR TIME PANIC
& HYSTERIA
 Fear
of Jap. attack on West
Coast
 Rumors of Jap-Am spies & acts
of sabotage
– Led to prejudice against Jap-Am
– Anti-Jap. sentiment fueled by
false newspaper stories &
propaganda
AFTER PEARL HARBOR ATTACK
 Fed
gov. took action to eliminate threat of
enemy “collaborators”
– FBI arrested 1000s of suspected Germs, Itals.,
& Japs.
– Relocated 1000s of Itals. & Germs away from
“vital defense areas”
– Curfews established: under house arrest at night
THE ENEMY NEXT DOOR
 Executive
Order 9066 = gov. mandated
removal of ALL peeps of Jap. ancestry born
here (Nisei) or not
– CA, OR, WA, AZ affected
 Reasons
= “necessary for national security”
– Vague language allowed for open interpretation
 Received
notification by fed.
couriers & posted notifications
on light/telephone poles in
neighborhoods & downtowns
to “Relocation Centers” then
transported to Internment Camps
 Reported
– 10 camps located in desolate area far removed
from society
 Terrified
families sold
homes, biz. & belongings

Had limitations on what they could take
 No
Jap. resistance to
internment
– 110,000 – 120,000 Jap-Ams.
interned
CIVIL RIGHTS
VIOLATIONS
 Americans
split over internment; some
approved, some said it was a mistake
 1944 – Fred Korematsu sued fed. gov. over
his internment = Korematsu v. United States
– Argued constitutional rights violated
– S.C. determined U.S. gov. was justified and
internment didn’t violate rights ‘cuz restrictions
were on military necessity not based on race
U.S. GOV: “WE’RE SORRY”
– Jap. Am. Citizens League (JACL) –
DEMANDED reparations to each individual
who suffered internment
 1988 – Ron. Reagan signed bill
that awarded $20,000 to every
surviving Jap-Am. interned
 1990 – “apology” letter sent w/check
 1978
– Gov. apology = greater value than
“We can never fully right the wrongs of
the past, but we can take a clear
stand for justice and recognize that
serious injustices were done to
Japanese Americans during World
War II.”
SUMMARIZE & HIGHLIGHT
 Recap
what you have learned about the
Japanese-American internment during
WWII.
 Highlight key terms, people, events,
causes/outcomes, etc.