Essay On Japanese Internment Camps

Introduction: Throughout history, several parts of American history have been hidden from the general public, including the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. The population of Japanese in the U.S. has always been very low. Only during the time before World War II hit, the population of Japanese-Americans in Hawaii was around 158,000, making up around forty percent of the island’s population. On the west coast, around 127,000 people were of Japanese descent . Meaning, the amount of Japanese-Americans in Hawaii was greater than on the west coast. But why would the U.S. government try to hide such a large group of Americans? The unfair treatment of American` citizens is why you can’t look into a textbook and see what harm the United States government has committed. The topic of Japanese-American Internment is captivating in the sense that it is so hidden in American history. This paper will explore how Japanese-Americans felt during their internment and how they assimilated back into American society as “Americans. With the hidden internment camps, brought many impacts upon Japanese-Americans. Post WWII, Japanese-Americans were impacted by the internment camps by having to redefine themselves as “Americans”, having to search for homes and jobs, and most importantly having to assimilate back into American society while

in hopes of achieving the “American Dream”. To help build their families and send wealth back to their relatives is one of the things most Japanese came the United States for. Coming in after the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, Japanese were slowly becoming a strong workforce. Most issei (first generation) had to go through many hardships in their work to gain acceptance from their hostile neighbors. As nissei (second generation) were born, more and more Japanese-Americans were used to American culture, nearly knowing or even wanting to go to their parent’s