The Japanese American Experience
The Japanese American Experience
Racism and economic interests were among the major causes of the Japanese American incarceration during World War II. This experience teaches us important lessons about democratic principles. Unfortunately, school textbooks do not often offer substantive information about the incarceration experience of Japanese Americans. The purpose of this guide is to provide information that will encourage and assist educators in developing and presenting a unit on the Japanese American incarceration in their classrooms.
The incarceration of persons of Japanese ancestry during World War II raises fundamental questions about democratic values and constitutional law. Under our constitutional system, citizens have the right to be safe from unwarranted searches and seizures. They have the right to life, liberty and property. They cannot be imprisoned for a lengthy period without due process of law. All of these constitutional rights and more were violated when all persons of Japanese ancestry were forced from their homes on the West Coast and sent into concentration camps.
The U.S. government has acknowledged its failure to protect the constitutional rights of these citizens and began issuing apologies and monetary compensation in 1990. Why, then, should this episode in American history be studied now?
The California State Board of Education in its Model Curriculum for Human Rights and Genocide has stated that “there is no more urgent task for educators in the field of history and social science than to teach students about the importance of human rights” and therefore, we must “acknowledge unflinchingly the instances in U.S. history when our own best ideals were betrayed by the systematic mistreatment of group members because of their race, religion, culture, language, gender or political views.”
Through the use of this guide, students will learn that the decision to incarcerate Japanese Americans was wrong. They will learn that the constitution did not properly protect Japanese Americans during World War II. This guide fosters the ideal that all citizens share responsibility for protecting the rights of all citizens at all times. This responsibility is illuminated by a knowledge of history and an understanding of how civil rights abuses occurred in the past.
In 1982, the federal Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC) found that the broad causes that led to the incarceration of Japanese Americans and resident Japanese aliens were “race prejudice, war hysteria and a failure of political leadership.” This guide addresses these issues that enlightens and discusses ways to prevent the future recurrence of similar events.
Manzanar Concentration Camp, Manzanar, CA. 1942 - Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration
Comission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC) Hearing in Seattle, WA. 1981
Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration
In this study guide students will be reminded that the actions of foreign nations often hold consequences for their descendants living in the United States. This is especially true for groups that are physically identifiable. For example, just as Japanese Americans were targeted for the actions of Japan at Pearl Harbor, Arab Americans were targeted following the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001.
This guide will discuss the role of propaganda and emotional arguments during times of crises, which might be used to justify excesses in government authority. This will lead to a larger message: to respect differences among people.
Finally, students will learn that our democratic system is resilient. When abuses such as the incarceration of Japanese Americans occur, redress is possible. They have reason to rejoice that they live in a country governed by laws and not the whims of public officials or an uninformed public.
The significance of this guide, then, goes far beyond the treatment of Japanese Americans. When civil liberties are taken from one group or individual, they can be taken from any group or individual. Students should reflect and come to know this enduring lesson about democracy.