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Samantha Grace Quartuccio

Mrs. Drew

English Language Arts

23 May 2016

Japanese American Discrimination

Introduction

Globally, the human race has discriminated against other human beings regardless of who

they are. This is especially true during wars. The Germans discriminated the Jews and the

communists, the British discriminated against the Italian Brits, and the Americans discriminated

against the Japanese Americans. The discrimination against the Japanese Americans was not only

unjust, it was unwarranted. The Japanese Americans were discriminated against during the years

before, during, and after World War Two.

Before World War Two

Before World War Two, Japanese Americans were unwanted in America. This

discrimination begins during the time of the Transcontinental Railroad. Similar to the Chinese,

they were looked upon as a source of cheap manual labor to do dangerous jobs no white should

ever have to do. Like the Chinese, the Japanese became targets of anti-Asian campaigns,

maligned as the yellow peril. (Pre-War Discrimination) Their prejudice originated from

another Asian group, the Chinese, so they were looked upon as the biggest threat as they began

to become the owners of farms and not the hired labor. This contemptuousness developed over

the course of the century.

As time progressed, Japanese Americans became professional farmers. They could turn

the barren desert on the west coast to lush farmland, which earned the envy of other farmers.
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These other farmers complained to the government that the Japanese were crowding the other

farmers out of business, although the Japanese only controlled 2% of farms near the west coast.

(Heart Mountain) Regardless of the facts, the United States government put restrictive laws on

the Japanese and Japanese Americans. Soon the Japanese could not become citizens, own land,

or even marry outside their race. Despite restrictive laws, the Issei married, had children, and

became economically stable in America as merchants, tradesmen, and farmers. (Heart

Mountain) This ability to adapt to the restrictions that were set only angered the Caucasians

farther. In fact, America as a whole in the 1930s was a place of little tolerance toward people of

color. (Pre-War Discrimination)

During World War Two

On February 19th, 1942, order 9066 was given and one hundred twenty thousand

Japanese and Japanese Americans were moved to camps within weeks. Not forty-three days

earlier, at the conference of General De Witt, the subject of the conference being the potential

threat level of citizens with Japanese heritage and their loyalty, De Witt said, I have no

confidence in their (Japanese and Japanese American) loyalty whatsoever. Going against

constitutional rights, all citizens of Japanese heritage were moved to internment camps in less

than a couple of weeks of the decision. Within weeks, all persons of Japanese ancestry--whether

citizens or enemy aliens, young or old, rich or poor--were ordered to assembly centers near their

homes. Soon they were sent to permanent relocation centers outside the restricted military

zones. (National Archives) The Japanese were given little time to get and sell possessions. The

sudden upheaval caused extreme hardship for many who were given as little as 48 hours notice

to sell their possessions and to dispose of their property. Losses incurred during this time were
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estimated in the billions of dollars. People lost all of their property to this massive move to the

internment camps.

As the construction of the of the internment camps was hasty, and no real effort was

made to make the living areas comfortable or even manageable, these relocation centers were

neither suitable nor equipped and qualified to be populated by humans. The barrack living

complexes were one story high with compartments about twenty by twenty five feet for families

of six or seven. In some instances, the limitations of space required that two or more small

families share a compartment, which led to the equivalent of up to fifteen humans packed into a

tiny space. (Truman Library) This meant cramped living and spending most of their days in the

desert.

The entire camp was laid out in a way to continually keep watch over the internees for

their safety; subsequently, they were always watched by guards; for instance, at the Heart

Mountain internment camp, there were nine guard towers, some military police, and one hundred

thirty government employees. During the daylight hours they (those of Japanese heritage) may

move inside the relocation center, which in each instance covers several thousand acres, but after

dark they are confined to the residence area, usually about a square mile. This area is usually

fenced with barbed wire. (Truman Library) These restrictions continually inhibited the

Japanese and Japanese Americans from daily activities and the small bits of work they could

find.

The government continued the Japanese discrimination not only in the construction of the

camps, but in the day to day life as well. The War Relocation Authority established a maximum

allowance of 45 cents per person per day in estimating food costs, and at the present time food

costs are actually about 40 cents for a day per each person, this is in the face of rising food
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costs. (Truman Library) The day to day life in the relocation centers was uncommonly

regimented which led to restrictions when present in the internment camps. The discrimination

continued at a steady rate even after the war.

After the War

After the war, discrimination was still aimed the Japanese and the Japanese Americans.

This made coming home from the internment camps difficult and in some cases dangerous. As

people tried to come home, they would have to drive past signs all saying phrases like Japs not

welcome or We dont shelter the enemy. Hostility against Japanese Americans remained

high across the West Coast into the postwar years as many villages displayed signs demanding

that the evacuees never return. As a result, the internees scattered across the country. (US

History) As many Japanese Americans left the intern camps, they were shunned from their

original homes. Most decided to move to the east of America, while others tried to deal what was

happening in the west. No matter where they decided to resettle, they all had to reconstruct their

lives from scratch. Even in the east and especially in the west, people who looked Asian were

looked upon as the enemy.

When the former evacuees returned home, often their houses, farms, and lives were

ruined. Those who returned to their pre-war homes often found them vandalized and even

marred with racial epithets. Many farms and fields were in shambles from neglect or lost to new

owners. (Exploring JAI) The discrimination grew, and most Americans shunned and tried to

destroy Japanese and Japanese American lives.

The Japanese and Japanese Americans were still considered the enemy, and still had their

farms envied. Through the 1950s, many Japanese Americans faced housing and employment

discrimination and were denied access to many recreational and retail services. Many had to start
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over with their lives. (JAI) The political climate was not very friendly. An example of the

political climate in Wyoming is this quote from the Heart Mountain Foundation, In Powell and

Cody, shops, hotels, and restaurants displayed "No Japs Allowed" signs. The Wyoming

legislature took action to stop Nisei incarcerees from voting in Wyoming. They also refused to

grant us hunting and fishing licenses. Many of these cases were the reasons many Japanese

Americans were driven out of towns and into east American.

Conclusion

In conclusion, those with Japanese heritage were discriminated against. Before the war,

the Japanese were discriminated against for taking up jobs and being great farmers just like the

Chinese. During the war, the Japanese and Japanese Americans were discriminated against for

being the enemy. After the war, they were discriminated against for being both the enemy,

superior farmers, and for many other similar things. The Japanese and Japanese Americans were

discriminated and treated inferiorly throughout the years before, during, and after World War

Two.

Citations

"Issei and Nisei Pursue the American Dream." Before the War, Heart 23 Interpretive

Center, Heart Mountain Foundation, Wyoming. Heart Mountain, 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.

"Japanese Relocation During World War II." National Archives and Records

Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, Web. 29 Apr. 2016.

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"Japanese-American Internment." USHistory.org. Independence Hall Association, 2014.

Web. 29 Apr. 2016

Myer, Dillon S. "Work of the War Relocation Authority." Harry S. Truman Library and
Museum. Web. 3 May 2016.
"Post War & Impact Today." Exploring JAI. CAAMedia, Web. 03 May 2016.

"Pre-War Discrimination." Japanese American Internment. CAAMedia, 2002. Web. 06

Apr. 2016.