Blog 3 - The "Good War"
These documents reveal that American life was very scary at the time for all Americans. With World War II seeming inevitable for the U.S American life did not seem to be getting any better. African Americans were already fighting for fair employment wages and jobs which led to The Executive Order 8802 which allowed Government positions and fair wages open to anyone, does not matter the “Race, creed, color, or national origin”. This was a huge change to American society also changing racial discrimination Throughout the U.S.. However, this did not last long after the attack on pearl harbor many American Citizens feared the Japanese. Bringing back up the racial discrimination that shadowed the country. Race relations at this time between The Japanese Americans and U.S were not good. With many Americans thinking that the Japanese were sending over spies to the U.S after the bombing. This Enacted Executive Order 9066 which forced the removal of 120,000 Japanese Americans from the west coast leaving their homes and possessions to be placed into internment camps. These camps were not suitable living for the Japanese in any way. Many of the camps were located in the middle of deserts away from all civilization. This made the living conditions very tough for the Japanese especially the children and the elderly. Many of the Japanese had no privacy inside of the camps because of how compact they were. This did not stop just in the U.S. many others also enacted their own version of the order affecting many Japanese all over the world. During these times racial discrimination was at an all-time high towards the Japanese everywhere. Showing how scary not only American life was during this time but how scary life across the globe was.
In what ways did the attack on Pearl Harbor affect the lives of Japanese Americans?
The attack Pearl Harbor affected the lives of Japanese Americans in negative ways. 120,000 Japanese Americans from the West coast left their homes and had to live in interment camps. The living conditions for them were difficult, due to their location, and lack of civilization. They did not have much space or privacy. "I was sharing a room, it was seven of us. The room size, I believe, was 16x20 feet... We separated our living quarters by putting up slats and putting blankets or sheets" (Aiko Herzig-Yoshinga, Japanese Internment, 1942/1495). The weather conditions made it more difficult for their state of living because the location they were at was a dessert. It was known to have many dust storms and to be extremely hot. They also did not have much access to either food or water. "Dust storms where it looked like a tornado, shaped like an upside down cone. We were besieged by these dust storms day after day after day" (Aiko Herzig-Yoshinga, Japanese Interment, 1942/1945).
ReplyDeleteThe attack on Pearl Harbor made the lives of Japanese Americans very sad and hard. Just because of their race, and fear of spies they were removed from their homes and placed in internment camps, which did not have the best living conditions. "then told to go to a certain area where we were issued a sack, long sack which served as the mattress cover, told to fill it with hay, which was, served as our mattress for the period that we were in the camps. It was devastating"(Aiko Herzig-Yoshinga,Japanese Internment, 1942/1945). "The ill, those persons who were ill, the people who were senior citizens, and mothers with little infants, the infants, these persons were the ones who suffered the most because of the unavailability of water in the barracks, the unavailability of food, immediate, which was of such importance" (Aiko Herzig-Yoshinga,Japanese Internment, 1942/1945). As you can tell from these pieces of evidence, the Japanese- Americans were forced into unhealthy and unfair living conditions. They didn't have comfy beds, enough water, or food.
ReplyDeleteOne girl, high school age at the time, retold the story of how her life changed after Pearl Harbor. Her name is Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga. She mentions peoples attitudes towards her shifted the day after the Attack on Pearl Harbor. She said: “Things had changed, though. I think our friends, non-Japanese friends, didn’t really know how to treat us. I think they knew that we would be hurt if they ostracized us. On the other hand, just like our neighbors who lived around us, I believe that they felt if they were too friendly with us, they would be labeled “Jap-lovers.” (Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga on Japanese Internment (1942/1994) Soon, many Japanese Americans would be taken away from their homes and forced to move into internment camps. Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga also mentions: “When we first were assigned to barracks, I was sharing a room, there were seven of us.” and “These barracks were built so quickly and with poor quality wood …. If somebody sneezed in apartment 1, you could hear it in apartment 5.” (Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga on Japanese Internment (1942/1994.) This gives us some insight into just how bad the conditions at these camps were. The attack on Pearl Harbor completely changed the lives of over 120,000 Japanese Americans, in an extremely inhumane and unjust way
ReplyDeletePearl Harbor effected many Japanese Americans during the second world war. People in the U.S. treated Japanese Americans with prejudice after the events that took place during Pearl Harbor. In the average Americans mind, the Japanese in the U.S. could be all spies from Japan sent to destroy America from within. This mindset was so widespread within America that the U.S. government set up internment camps with executive order 9066. Hundreds of thousands of Japanese American citizens were forced to uproot their life's and abandon their homes and businesses. These camps did not have great living conditions with rooms being shared by multiple families. On top of that, the locations of the camps were not great as they were often located in deserts that were away from civilization.
ReplyDeletePearl Harbor affected many people in the United Sates. It affected how the people treated the Japanese Americans. Before the attack people in America was moving in the equal rights movement. After the attack many people were afraid of Japanese American thanking, they were spies sent over to harm America. The people in America overreacted and put the Japanese Americans in camps. These camps were awful as stated by Akio Herzig "I was sharing a room, there were seven of us. The room size, I believe, was 16 x 20 feet. … We separated our living quarters by putting up slats and putting blankets or sheets, I think it was blankets, GI-issued blankets, to give us a little privacy"(Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga on Japanese internment (1942/1944.)" As stated, the camps were cramped and little to no privacy. When Pearl Harbor happened the people started to fear the Japanese in return fear led to paranoia, which put 120,000 people in awful living environments and inhuman conditions.
ReplyDeletePearl Harbor affected many lives all over the globe. Shortly after the attack from land and sea the entry of the U.S. into WWII, and the beginning of the Allies and central powers will emerge. It was approximately 7:50 on a December morning in 1941 when a surprise attack was launched at Pearl Harbor. The attack would not only leave thousands dead but would leave devastating aftermath to the island. Being a higher population of Japanese- Americans families many were hesitant to continue to live the same lives they did before the attack. As Yoshinaga states,
ReplyDelete"We, as I recall, we did go back to school. Things had changed, though. I think our friends, non-Japanese friends, didn’t really know how to treat us. I think they knew that we would be hurt if they ostracized us. On the other hand, just like our neighbors who lived around us, I believe that they felt if they were too friendly with us, they would be labeled “Jap-lovers”(Aiko Herzig Yoshinaga). As
a wave of anti-Japanese were suspicion and fear led the Roosevelt administration had adopted a drastic policy toward these residents or aliens. They had to be forcefully removed off the island.
As a result of the Pearl Harbor attack, Japanese were subjected to racial discrimination. Americans often believed they were spies sent over by their government, when in fact, they were just citizens looking for a normal life. As paranoia grew among Americans, the U.S. thought it necessary to force the removal of 120,00 Japanese. Their lives were turned upside down as they lived in unbearable camps in deserts. Aiko said, “We were issued a sack, long sack which served as the mattress cover, told to fill it with hay, which was, served as our mattress for the period that we were in the camps." (Aiko Herzig-Yoshinga, Japanese Interment, 1942/1945). Furthermore, she describes a 16x20ft room she shared with seven other people, demonstrating the vile treatment Americans believed they needed for paranoia.
ReplyDelete