Argumentative Essay On Japanese American Internment

445 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Japanese internment reason

Is forcing innocent people to internment camp okay just because of their ancestry? No. Over 120,000 United States citizens were forced to internment camps just for having Japanese heritage. Japanese-American internment was cruel, racist and extremely unnecessary. Americans had no right or reason to forcefully take them from their homes and into imprisonment. The reasons for this are that they were American citizens, there was not a single case of Japanese disloyalty during the war, and that it was just anti-Japanese paranoia. It is important to realize that these Japanese-Americans were and still are American citizens. In the article “Japanese-American Internment”, it says “Over 127,000 United States citizens were imprisoned during WWII. Their crime? Being of Japanese ancestry.” This textual evidence supports the fact that they were US citizens, and were only imprisoned …show more content…

In the article “Japanese-American Internment was an Unnecessary and a Racist Act”, it clearly states, “Another historian, Henry Steele Commager, comments, ‘It is sobering to recall that the record does not disclose a single case of Japanese disloyalty…’” This comment from the historian proves the point that the Japanese-Americans didn’t even pose a threat to the United States. Like the quote said, there was not even a single case of betrayal from these poor innocent people. An opponent to this would say that the Japanese on land and at sea were for sure communicating. They would probably also say that ALL of them were a threat. In the article, “Japanese-American Internment was an Unnecessary and a Racist Act”, it says “War correspondent Walter Lippmann offered more concrete reasons. ‘It is the fact that communication takes place between the enemy at sea and the enemy on land.’ Another historian says, “ ‘Suddenly the Japanese threatened our very national existence’” This was untrue,

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Betrayed By America By Kristin Lewis

    662 Words  | 2 Pages

    It was no secret that when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, countless Americans were frightened on what will happen next. The attack transpiring during WW2 only added to the hysteria of American citizens. According to the article “Betrayed by America” it expressed,”After the bombing many members of the public and media began calling for anyone of Japanese ancestry။citizens or not။to be removed from the West Coast.”(7) The corroboration supports the reason why America interned Japanese-Americans because it talks about Americans wanting to remove Japanese-Americans from the West Coast due to Japan bombing America. Japan bombing America led to Americans grow fear and hysteria. Fear due to the recent attack caused internment because Americans were afraid of what people with Japanese ancestry could do. In order to cease the hysteria, America turned to internment. American logic tells us that by getting the Japanese-Americans interned, many

    Read More

  • Korematsu vs. United States

    559 Words  | 2 Pages

    After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans were regarded as a threat to the U.S. President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, also know as the Exclusion Order. This Order stated that any descendents or immigrants from enemy nations who might be a threat to U.S. security will report to assembly centers for Internment. There were no trials or hearings. They were forced to evacuate and many lost their homes and their businesses. Fred Korematsu refused to go. He was a U.S. citizen. Fred Korematsu was grabbed by police, handcuffed, and taken to jail. His crime -- defying President Franklin Roosevelt's order that American citizens of Japanese descent report to internment camps

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Issei And Nisei

    819 Words  | 2 Pages

    I wish I could say that I would have been against the internment camps, but had I lived during that time frame, I probably would have agreed with society’s fear of Japanese-Americans. Currently working in an assisted living facility, I spoke with many of my residents about this subject. Although they are somewhat ashamed of their actions made by the government, they reminded me that they all had anxiety and concern about immanent invasion of the Imperial Japanese Army attacking the west coast of the United States.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Japanese Internment

    2436 Words  | 5 Pages

    This is not the case. Before the war began, most average Americans mixed amicably with the Japanese. The group who had the most trouble with the Japanese was the politicians. Governor William D. Stephens of California said that the “present agitation in California was inspired by candidacy for office” (Kawakami). The reasons the politicians did this was to gain favor and promotion in their offices. Prior to Pearl Harbor, the politicians caused trouble and planted doubt and fear into American minds. The majority of Americans had never had any contact with Japanese, it was only on the West Coast, so politicians from each political party tried to convince Americans that the whole country was in danger. To take the focus away from the Great Depression and suffering of the 1930’s, many politicians tried this tactic to gain votes. They were pressured by the public to bring about a change in America, and they knew that someone who promised an answer would become more powerful. One of the leading men behind Japanese internment was Earl Warren, the Attorney General of California in 1942. He saw the Japanese situation as the “Achilles heel of the entire civilian defense effort.” He believed that unless the government took action, “it may bring about a repetition of Pearl Harbor” (Myer 17). His justification for his choice was that in a time of war, every citizen may have to give up some of his rights to protect the nation (Brown). He believed that the Japanese were exemplary citizens, but he still chose to push for their internment. This seems contradictory, but it shows the flow of public opinion and the pressure that was put on leaders to promote

    Read More

  • Japanese Internment Dbq Essay

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the 1900’s, it was common for people to immigrate to America. They saw it as a land of freedom and opportunity. Some thought that this was a great way for the US’ economy to boom, but some thought otherwise. With the shortage of jobs, many believed that the immigrants were stealing their precious jobs. Because of the competition over jobs, immigrants became the new public enemy to many. Immigrants such as the Japanese. The Japanese had already been through some racial discrimination, but it wasn’t until World War II that it got much worse. During the war the US decided it was best to be neutral, but the longer the war went on for, The more the US’ neutrality was on the verge of breaking. It wasn’t until December 7, 1941, that the US

    Read More

  • Korematsu v. United States

    836 Words  | 2 Pages

    Economic interest also encouraged the racism against the Japanese. Tough Japanese work ethics made Japanese businesses competition for Americans. Interest groups and individuals demanded legislators take action against all Japanese. All persons of Japans ancestry, including American citizens of Japanese ancestry, called Nisei, were reported to concentration camps. In reading American Constitutional Interpretation, it states, "General DeWitt explained, it was legitimate to put the Nisei behind barbed wire

    Read More

  • How Is Japanese Internment Justified

    969 Words  | 2 Pages

    This caused the Japanese to become a scapegoat of America’s fear and anger. The Issei and Nisei who once moved to this country to find new opportunities and jobs were now stripped of their homes and businesses and were forced to live in poor living conditions (DISCovering). Although many Americans believed that Japanese American internment was justified because it was used to protect us from attacks by Japanese Americans, it was very unlikely that they were ever going to attack us in the first place. For example, in Dr. Seuss’ political cartoon, many Japanese Americans are lined up to get TNT and waiting for a signal from Japan to attack (Seuss).

    Read More

  • Japanese Internment Camps Research Paper

    538 Words  | 2 Pages

    The camps were located away from Japan and isolated, so if a spy tried to communicate, word wouldn't get out. The camps were unfair to the Japanese, but the US was trying to be cautious. Even more than 66% or 2/3 of the Japanese-Americans sent to the internment camps in April of 1942 were born in the United States and many had never been to Japan. Their only crime was that they had Japanese ancestors and they were suspected of being spies to their homeland of Japan. Japanese-American World War I veterans that served for the United States were also sent to the internment camps.

    Read More

  • Japanese Internment Camps Essay

    614 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ten weeks after the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) singed an Executive Order of 9066 that authorized the removal of any people from military areas “as deemed necessary or desirable”(FDR). The west coast was home of majority of Japanese Americans was considered as military areas. More than 100,000 Japanese Americans was sent and were relocated to the internment camps that were built by the United States. Of the Japanese that were interned, 62 percent were Nisei (American born, second generation) or Sansei (third-generation Japanese) the rest of them were Issai Japanese immigrants. Americans of Japanese ancestry were far the most widely affected. The Japanese internment camps were wrong because the Japanese were accused as spies, it was racism, and it was a violation to the United States constitution laws.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Japanese Internment Camps

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Japanese internment camps started in February, around two months after the Pearl Harbor bombing, which was also the reason America decided to enter the war. People’s suspicions of Japanese led the government, passing an order to uproot 120,000 people from their homes, lives, families, everything they knew. WWII brought lots of change, although their families were being contained, many young Japanese joined the U.S. army in the fight against Germany and Japan. It’s important for people to learn and remember who the really is against. “Sure enough, 40 days later January 20, 1942, came a letter that said, greeting from the President of the United States you are now in the army, and that was my draft notice.”( Interview with Norman Saburo

    Read More

  • The Necessity Of Japanese Internment

    1429 Words  | 3 Pages

    Much controversy has been sparked due to the internment of the Japanese people. Many ask whether it was justified to internment them. It is a very delicate issue that has two sides, those who are against the internment of the Japanese-Americans and those who are for it. With World War II raging in the East, America was still, for the most part, very inactive in the war. When America took a stand against Japan by not shipping them supplies, Japan became very upset. Japan, being a big island that is very overpopulated with little natural resources, depended on America to provide them with an assortment of supplies including scrap metal and oil, vital items that are needed in a time of war. Japan retaliated by declaring war on America and attacking Pearl Harbor. This surprise act led to many soldiers deaths and millions of dollars of damaged army equipment, including air craft carriers and planes. As a result to Japan declaring war, the Japanese-Americans were asked to and eventually forced to do their duty to the country and report to internment camps until the war conflict was over. Many opposed this act for a couple of reasons. One reason was that people felt that it was a huge hypocrisy that the Japanese were being interned while the Italians and Germans, also our enemies, were still walking around free in America. Another reason why many were against the internment was because many of the Japanese had already been in America for some time now. The Issei, the first generation of Japanese people that immigrated from Japan, had immigrated many years ago. A whole another generation of Japanese children had already began growing up in America called the Nissei. They were automatically U.S. citizens for they were born in America and for the most part were like other American children. Anti-Internment activists also said that the Japanese were being robbed of their rights as U.S. citizens. However, there are two sides to everything.

    Read More

  • The Japanese Internment Camps

    1370 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1945 Japanese-American citizens with undisrupted loyalty were allowed to return to the West Coast, but not until 1946 was the last camp closed. The government of the U.S. tried to blame the evacuations on the war, saying they were protecting the Japanese by moving them. The government made statements during this time that contradicted each other. For example, Japanese-Americans were being called “enemy aliens” but then they were encouraged by the government to be loyal Americans and enlist in the armed forces, move voluntarily, put up no fight and not question the forced relocation efforts (Conn, 1990). Stetson Conn (1990) wrote “For several decades the Japanese population had been the target of hostility and restrictive action.”

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Bring Them Home

    574 Words  | 2 Pages

    For years on end, countries have been fighting with big museums from other countries for ancient artifacts that belong to the original countries. The argument of whether or not the museums should be able to keep them still remains. It is the right of the country to have their own artifacts. It is imperative for countries to be able showcase their historical artifacts, therefor museums should return them to their rightful owners.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Argumentative Effects Of Japanese Camps

    561 Words  | 2 Pages

    Why would american citizens have to go to camps, they’re apart of america! They may have some Japanese genes from past history but they were born and raised in america, they don’t deserve to get pulled into a camp like that. This is a racist act based on the pearl bombing incident , just because of that over 120,000 individuals were forced to head there. Suspected as “ spies “ or “ bombers “. In addition, getting forced to leave didn’t take place with the German or Italian nationals.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Mass Incarceration

    446 Words  | 1 Pages

    Mass incarceration is one of the most prevailing issues that the United States faces. What was once an average of 100 people being imprisoned for every 100,000, prior to the 1970’s, has known grown to be more than 600 individuals for every 100,000. With only five percent of the total world population, the United States holds an astonishing 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. Even despite the fact that crime in the Country has declined steeply since the 1990s, the percent of people in prisons has risen to more than 450% than what it was prior to the 1980’s. It is for that reason that I strongly believe that within his first 100 days in office, President Donald Trump should make it his priority to address the problem which is mass incarceration.

    Read More

More about Argumentative Essay On Japanese American Internment

Open Document