It was really upsetting for me to read this article. Everything from the psychological standpoint to the physical abuse of all Japanese Americans during this time period made me feel so disgusted and sad. As a result of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor many Japanese people were sent to interment camp on the basis of racism.
"Not a single documented act of espionage, sabotage or fifth column activity was committed by an American citizen of Japanese ancestry or by a resident Japanese on the West Coast."
Franklin Delano Roosevelt is my favorite president. My history professor told us many great stories about FDR, and I have come to really admire him. Here are some of the many great things he has done for our country:
- Fireside chats: FDR was always a good speaker, and many Americans laid in bed during the cold winters to listen to him during our time of crisis.
- The Hundred Days
- Social Security Act
- National Recovery Administration
- Agricultural Adjustment Administration
- The New Deal
Psychologically, the turmoil and frustration that comes along with not knowing what is going to happen to your family member, let alone your own being is unimaginable to me. I would imagine that most of the Japanese Americans at time came to America for the abundant opportunities and the promise of a better life. So for something like the internment camps to happen must have left a distrustful taste. In the article it said that many distrusted "white Americans", but Japanese culture is structured so that obedience is a priority, which led to the removal a physically non-reluctant people. More than likely the idea of an American identity would have been tarnished.
Personally, I would ask myself, "How could my country treat me like this?" Those who were not even near a part of the attack or in anyway connected were disregarded and considered just as guilty as those who were apart of the attack. I feel like the "American" part of "Japanese American" would no longer hold it's meaning and many would feel at a lost.
I like that you point out that they were coming here for a better life. It seems that through out time everyone who has come to America for a better life has been discriminated against. Just because people are different and have different cultures doesnt mean they should be treated any differently than anyone else. I think the education system should try to enforce a more culturally competent education program to avoid situations like the Japanese internment camps in the future.
ReplyDelete"I feel like the "American" part of "Japanese American" would no longer hold it's meaning and many would feel at a lost."
ReplyDeleteThat is the funny thing about America. We say that we are for equality and yet historically this country has held a greater value and preference for certain groups of people and ways of life. It's a place where people have come and still come to make a better life for themselves, a "land of the free", and yet instances such as these Japanese internment camps happen. It frustrates me to call myself an American, usually depending on who I'm talking to. I've talked to refugees who love this country because it truly has been a place of refuge. Then there are people like the Native Americans who have experienced centuries of devastation. I think that many times, American citizens let their loyalty lie in the symbol of this nation. I am reminded of the NYtimes article we read a couple weeks ago, where West spoke of Martin Luther King never confusing "substance with symbolism." I think we can learn from this and realize that while there's a symbol of the a free nation, there is a lack of substance or social justice. Hence the meaning of American was if not lost, definitely wounded for the Japanese Americans.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and how this affected you.