Life for Japanese Americans was hard from the beginning. In 1913, California passed a law that didn't allow aliens (i.e. Asian Americans) to own land or property. In 1920 they extended the law in which aliens who weren't eligible for citizenship weren't allowed to own any land or property. In June 1935, Congress passed a law making aliens that were ineligible for citizenship eligible if they had served in the U.S. army April 6, 1917-November 11, 1918 or if they were or would remain permanent U.S. citizens all within the deadline of January 1, 1937.
There were two groups of Japanese, the Issei and the Nisei. The Issei were Japanese who immigrated from Japan and their children were the Nisei. Though they came from Japanese ancestry, the Nisei spoke English, practiced Christianity and played sports such as baseball and football. Meanwhile, the Issei practiced Buddhism and ate raw fish and rice. In the 1930s, the Nisei formed the Japanese American Citizens League in Washington, Oregon, and California where 95% of Japanese lived. The members of the league recited a pledge:
I am proud that I am an American citizen of Japanese ancestry, for my very
background makes me appreciate more fully the wonderful advantages of this
nation. I believe in her institutions, ideals, and her future. I am firm in my
belief that American sportmanship and attitude of fair play will
judge citizenship and patriotism on the basis of action and achievement not on the
basis of physical characteristics.
Ever since the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. there had been talk of concentrations camps. Whites believed that we were here to spy for the Japanese so they decided to punish all of us.
There were two groups of Japanese, the Issei and the Nisei. The Issei were Japanese who immigrated from Japan and their children were the Nisei. Though they came from Japanese ancestry, the Nisei spoke English, practiced Christianity and played sports such as baseball and football. Meanwhile, the Issei practiced Buddhism and ate raw fish and rice. In the 1930s, the Nisei formed the Japanese American Citizens League in Washington, Oregon, and California where 95% of Japanese lived. The members of the league recited a pledge:
I am proud that I am an American citizen of Japanese ancestry, for my very
background makes me appreciate more fully the wonderful advantages of this
nation. I believe in her institutions, ideals, and her future. I am firm in my
belief that American sportmanship and attitude of fair play will
judge citizenship and patriotism on the basis of action and achievement not on the
basis of physical characteristics.
Ever since the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. there had been talk of concentrations camps. Whites believed that we were here to spy for the Japanese so they decided to punish all of us.
In February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt authorized executive order 9066 in which Japanese were to be removed from their homes and put in relocation camps. On March 21, 1942, Congress passed legislation that supported President Roosevelt's relocation order. Posters about the executive order were hung in Japanese communities to instruct them.
We Japanese hadn't been charged of any crimes and hadn’t been given a hearing either. In 48 hours we had to sell everything we owned and were allowed to bring very few possessions. We were loaded into buses and trains and were always under military watch. We were taken to 16 temporary detention camps located on fair grounds or racetracks which the government called assembly centers until the permanent camps were fully constructed. In the assembly centers, internees were forced to live in horse stalls. |
During the summer and fall of 1942 we were taken to our permanent relocation camps where we weren't allowed to speak or write Japanese.
Many were afraid that there was Japanese spying on America's every move. People feared that with the knowledge the spies would gain, there would be an Japanese invasion and there was. Shigenori Nishikaichi, the pilot who was flying a Japanese Zero, crash landed his plane on the Hawaiian island of Ni'ihau. Although Hawaiians took his weapons, he later found them with a group of Japanese who helped him. When they had found their weapons they took people hostage and took over the island for six days. Soon enough, one of the people who was taken hostage killed Nishikaichi. The Japanese invasion finally ended when of his partners committed suicide. The American army was convinced that Japanese relocation camps were the way to go. http://archive.org/details/Japanese1943 |