Japanese Internment Camps in Hawaii

Japanese Internment Camps in Hawaii

Japanese Internment in World War II

The United States is supposed to represent freedom and liberty. However, there are several historical instances which prove that the United States in many cases did not protect the rights and liberties of its citizens and those living within its boundaries. One of those events was the internment of Japanese-Americans during the wartime hysteria of World War II. Thanks to the massive paranoia on the West Coast, over a hundred thousands Japanese-Americans, both citizens and those of Japanese citizenship, were forced to move from their homes and into remote desert camps. President Roosevelt had tried to reduce the possibility of sabotage against vulnerable West Coast bases and military resources. During the move, Japanese-Americans lost almost everything and were forced to endure the embarrassment of being treated like second class human beings. Despite the massive exodus seen on the mainland, Hawaii, which had the largest population of Japanese-Americans, did not see such massive forced movement based on economical factors that would have devastated both the State and military budgets.

After the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, the nation was thrown into the midst of a massive hysteria. American citizens all over the nation, especially on the West Coast began to fear their Japanese-American brethren. This paranoia bled into the ranks of the U.S. military as well. In his 1942 Executive Order 9066, President Roosevelt officially began the process of relocation and internment of thousands of Japanese-Americans. According to Roosevelt, this was an absolute necessity; "Whereas the successful prosecution of the war requires every possible protection against espionage and against sabotage to national-defense material, national-defense premises, and national-defense utilities."

This order also created the civilian agency the Wartime Relocation Authority which was responsible for the mass exodus and relocation of over 100,000 Japanese-Americans into the nation's remote interior.

Part of the hysteria seen on the West Coast was due to the fact that there was an enormous Japanese-American population. States like California and Hawaii had massive amounts of both Japanese and American citizens. These people were for the most part upstanding individuals, "Two-thirds of the people in the centers are American citizens, born in this country and educated, for the most part, in American public schools."

However, this did not stop the mass exodus that followed directly after the attack at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

The forced exodus that followed the attack took place largely on the West Coast and moved Japanese-Americans into the remote interior. According to primary documents, "So far, the work of WRA has been concerned almost exclusively with people of Japanese descent who formerly lived close to the Pacific rim of the country."

Thus Japanese-Americans who lived near the Pacific Coast, who were thought to have been a threat at the time, were moved thousands of miles inward where authorities believed that their potential for sabotage could be minimized. At first, there was a voluntary call for Japanese-Americans to move, and "During March of 1942, some 8,000 actually did move, but the great majority was held back by limited resources, general uncertainty, and mounting signs of community hostility in the intermountain region."

Eventually, the government stepped in and forcibly removed those who had not voluntarily decided to leave their homes and lives on the West Coast. Eventually, over 110,000 people of Japanese origin were moved from their homes on the mainland to isolated Sierra Nevada and Mississippi locations. Yet, not nearly as many Japanese who were living in Hawaii were interned. The conditions they were moved into were horrible compared to their independent living conditions in their own homes. The barracks resembled the Nazi concentration camps, "These consisted of poorly-constructed barracks surrounded by barbed wire, sentry posts and armed guards."

For almost six years, Japanese-Americans were forced to live in such deplorable conditions until the war ended.

There were several main reasons for the internment of the Japanese-Americans on the mainland. The first was to minimize the possibility of sabotage or an allied attack with Japanese forces against strategic and vulnerable American military bases, "Officials later decided that detainees should be held inland to avoid the possibility of an attack."

During the heyday of the war, the West Coast was an important resource for the American military. In fact, the West Coast "contained one-fourth of the nation's aircraft production and one-third of its shipbuilding capacity."

Therefore, the main goal of the U.S. military was to protect such resources as a way to protect the strength of the American army and its effort overseas. Roosevelt and his top military advisors believed that "key West Coast installations were appallingly vulnerable to sabotage."

Therefore, the internment of so many Japanese-Americans was a necessary evil to protect the resources of a nation in the midst of war.

Civilian paranoia was parallel with government worries, and this led to a massive civilian support for the forced removal and internment of so many Japanese-Americans. Much of the massive support stemmed from wartime hysteria and racial prejudice.

Since the Japanese-Americans were so much more distinguishable then other Italian and German immigrants and descendents, much of the nation's massive hysteria went against the Japanese-Americans. Despite their upstanding roles within American society, Japanese-Americans then became a target of the nation's paranoia; "Even though two-thirds of the Nikkei in the United States were born here and were American citizens, they suddenly became aliens and enemies in the eyes of many other Americans because of their distinctive skin color and features."

Racist rumors and hatred against Japanese-Americans fueled the massive public support for the removal. According to research, "Rumors about spies raced through communities like wildfire: 'Japs' in Hawaii had cut arrows into their crops that guided the attack on Pearl Harbor; the 'Japs' in California were in contact with Japanese submarines and were prepared to sabotage airports, power plants, or other military targets."

Thus, everyday Americans became bearers of great hatred towards Japanese-Americans, who they singled out as a group. American paranoia turned into hate, which then led to unprecedented levels of public support that agreed with the actions of the U.S. government. Overall, "There was virtual consensus that the government had done the right thing in moving Japanese aliens away from the coast; 59% of the interviewees also favored moving American citizens of Japanese ancestry."

In the midst of such large public support, the government was allowed to conduct its policy of relocation and internment without much dissident from the American people.

Roosevelt justified such actions by explaining it was for the larger protection of the American people, as well as the Japanese-Americans themselves. The camps were not initially meant to be internment camps. Instead the President had two primary objectives within this move. The first was "To provide communities where evacuees might live and contribute, through work, to their own support pending their gradual reabsorption into private employment and normal American life."

Thus, Roosevelt wanted to create military locations that would provide for relocated Japanese-Americans every comfort of home. However, in the massive scale, this was not accomplished. Secondly, the camps were "to serve as wartime homes for those evacuees who might be unable or unfit to relocate in ordinary American communities."

This then was aimed to protect both the American people from possible sabotage as well as the Japanese-Americans themselves. In the midst of such massive racial hatred and hysteria, it was clear that Japanese-Americans would have a hard time living a normal life on the West Coast. And so were some of Roosevelt's justifications of the American internment of the Japanese during World War II.

However, the relocation and internment had serious negative consequences on those who were forced from their homes. Japanese-Americans did not receive the treatment they were promised by Roosevelt's decree, that "The Secretary of War is hereby authorized to provide for residents of any such area who are excluded therefrom, such transportation, food, shelter, and other accommodations as may be necessary, in the judgment of the Secretary of War or the said Military Commander."

Instead, the relocation camps were eerily similar to the Nazi concentration camps of Europe, which emphasized a forced removal and subservient way of life. According to research and primary sources, "The camps were fenced, and in each fenced camp there were block arrangements."

They were bland and simple, with little amenities. They were also in some of the most remote areas of the nation's interiors. Most were located in desert highlands, which had harsh winters and boiling summers. They were nothing like their homes on the West Coast, and "For many evacuees, the ever present dust in the desert camps was enemy number one."

However, despite such horrid conditions, many Japanese-Americans attempted to make the best out of their experience in the relocation camps. According to first hand accounts, "Despite the wind and the dust, the internees had created a productive community."

Many camps had educational courses for both adults and children. Systems of agriculture and raising livestock also were prominent in the camps. Yet, these were small amenities that did not mask the horrible conditions of the camps very well.

Most of those within the camps were American citizens, and should not have had their liberties taken away with such blatant disregard for upholding American principles of freedom. Many Japanese-Americans, who were born in the U.S., paid taxes, and even bought war bonds, were treated like criminals during the relocation, "The Japanese-Americans suffered severe economic losses, personal humiliation and, in some cases, death, due to this relocation."

They were fingerprinted and arrested, forced to suffer humiliation, and not told an exact reason why for over forty-five years.

There had been extreme prejudice on the West Coast since as early as 1936.

Therefore, many Japanese-Americans felt as if though they were being placed in a position of second class citizenship. Many had their lives completely stolen from them, "These people were forced to abandon their businesses, their homes and, in many cases, their families as some individuals were taken elsewhere and held, again without trial, for years."

Thus, most individuals within the camps suffered serious economic losses on top of the personal abuses. Many homes were sold for a fraction of their worth based on the immediate need to leave. Small businesses and professional careers of individuals interned fell apart. According to personal accounts, "Not only did many suffer major losses during evacuation, but their economic circumstances deteriorated further while they were in camp."

To make matters worse, many of the economic effects of being relocated followed the interned Japanese-Americans for years after their experiences in the camps. According to both research and personal accounts, "The years of exclusion were frequently punctuated by financial troubles: trying to look after property without being on the scene when difficulties arose; lacking a source of income to meet tax, mortgage and insurance payments."

Unable to prove income for almost six years provided difficulties in terms of taxes, loans, and employment. Returning to their former homes was bitter sweet. Many were forced to give up their property, and so had little to return to. It was a crippling effect on many Japanese-Americans for years after their experiences within the internment camps had ended. In response to the unfair actions which had long-lasting negative ramifications, many within the U.S. began calling for reparations, or at least recognition of the actions as being wrong. And so "the United States, which rarely apologizes for anything, in 1988 apologized and offered payment to surviving internees."