Deyssi Galvez Period: 2 Mr. Ferguson 06/08 /2024 The effects on government control When the government exercises excessive control, it can break away people’s freedoms.Often, the government’s actions prioritize the well-being of American citizens while neglecting the rights of other groups living in the country. This essay will explore the effects of government control, particularly during the periods around WWI and WWII. In “The Harlem Hellfighters” by Max Brooks, we learn about the African American units that face tremendous discrimination, even from their own government. These soldiers, nicknamed the Harlem Hellfighters by Germans, fought courageously on and off the battlefield to uphold democracy in Europe and America. Similarly, “They …show more content…
During WWI and WWII, this control reached its pinnacle, affecting communities in ways that were often explicitly discriminatory and reprehensible. The vociferous demands for national security and unity led to the corrosive effects of fear mongering and racism, which were exemplary in the cases of the Harlem Hellfighters and Japanese Americans. In “The Harlem Hellfighters,” the government's action led to a discrepancy between the treatment of black and white soldiers. This contentious issue is brought to light through the deft use of characterization and imagery. The stately demeanor of the soldiers, contrasted with the truculent attitudes they faced from their own government, shows the animosity and discrimination that chastised their efforts and sacrifices. Similarly, “They Called Us Enemy” allocated a commodious space to explore the devastating impact on Japanese American families. The emaciated conditions in the camps, symbolized by barbed wire fences and guard towers, serve as a palatable reminder of the reprehensible actions of the government. Takei’s clairvoyant narrative alludes to the emotional and psychological toll of this experience, fathoming the depth of injustice and betrayal felt by the internees. The government’s failure to amend its ways and the discrepancy between its ideals and actions are discernible in both works. The soldiers of the Harlem Hellfighters and the Japanese American internees were forced to acquiesce to unjust policies, highlighting the need for a more inclusive and just society. Their stories of resilience and perseverance serve as solace and an inkling of hope that the American Dream can be reclaimed and refined. Ultimately, the narratives in “The Harlem Hellfighters” and “They Called Us Enemy” implicate the government in a contentious deviation from its principles, showcasing the
The 369th Infantry Regiment otherwise known as the Harlem Hellfighters was the first all-black US combat unit that was shipped during WW I and was crucial in the WWII battles in Hawaii and Okinawa. These members who were skilled and very proud were shipped to Hawaii and protected the Hawaiian islands with antiaircraft from Japanese attack. William De Fossett was one of the main leaders of the 369th regiment, who joined it due to the regiments fame from the waning days of World War I. The original Harlem Hellfighters fought with the French Army and were awarded for their excellent service. De Fossett made the highly selective and demanding requirements of the 369th regiment. He grew up in the highly cultured neighborhoods of Harlem. Although the Harlem Hellfighters wer...
The novel, Farewell to Manzanar, by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, tells her family’s true story of how they struggled to not only survive, but thrive in forced detention during World War II. She was seven years old when the war started with the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1942. Her life dramatically changed when her and her family were taken from their home and sent to live at the Manzanar internment camp. Along with ten thousand other Japanese Americans, they had to adjust to their new life living behind barbed wire. Obviously, as a young child, Jeanne did not fully understand why they had to move, and she was not fully aware of the events happening outside the camp. However, in the beginning, every Japanese American had questions. They wondered why they had to leave. Now, as an adult, she recounts the three years she spent at Manzanar and shares how her family attempted to survive. The conflict of ethnicities affected Jeanne and her family’s life to a great extent.
On February 1942, President Roosevelt issued an executive order, which was 9066 stating that Japanese Americans to evacuate their homes and live in an internment camp. This autobiographical called, “Farewell to Manzanar” by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston. Jeanne wanted to write this book to give details on her experience during World War II internment camps. “It is a story, or a web of stories my own, my father’s, my family’s -- tracing a few paths that led up to and away from the experience of the internment” (pg XI). Mrs. Houston had other books beside this particular book, some of the others were called, “Don't Cry, It’s Only Thunder” and “The Legend of Fire Horse Woman”.
The Harlem Hellfighters, written by Max Brooks and Illustrated by Caanan White, is a skillfully written and beautifully illustrated Historical Fiction graphic novel that details a Black-American regiment’s experience in World War I. The graphic novel is brimming with inconspicuous references and cerebral content meant to show the treatment black soldiers received and how they felt during The Great War. The 15th/369th regiment was negligently treated, treated as inferiors because due to their race, and ultimately felt unwelcome in their own country.
Farewell to Manzanar Beginning in March of 1942, in the midst of World War II, over 100,000 Japanese-Americans were forcefully removed from their homes and ordered to relocate to several of what the United States has euphemistically labeled “internment camps.” In Farewell to Manzanar, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston describes in frightening detail her family’s experience of confinement for three and a half years during the war. In efforts to cope with the mortification and dehumanization and the boredom they were facing, the Wakatsukis and other Japanese-Americans participated in a wide range of activities. The children, before a structured school system was organized, generally played sports or made trouble; some adults worked for extremely meager wages, while others refused and had hobbies, and others involved themselves in more self-destructive activities. The smaller children that were confined to their families seemed to be generally unaware of the hardships they were facing.
Farewell to Manzanar is sociologist and writer Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston's first hand account of her interment in the Japanese camps during World War II. Growing up in southern California, she was the youngest of ten children living in a middle-to lower class, but comfortable life style with her large family. In the beginning of her story, she told about how her family was close, but how they drifted apart during and after their internment in the camp. The ironic part of it is that her family spent their entire time together in the same camp. So why did her family drift apart so? What was once the center of the family scene; dinner became concealed with the harsh realities of the camp. This reflects the loss of many of today's family values, and may have even set the bar for southern California's style of living today. Also, in a broader United State's historical theme, their internment reflected the still pungent racism and distrust of foreign identities, even though most of them were native-born US citizens and had never been to Japan.
The book then shows different ways of how manhood has always played a part in black freedom struggles. Estes starts to explore the participation of black men in World War II, and where the beginning of the civil rights movement began. The World War II used a language of masculinity to increase different ranks of the military, “the notion that are men are more powerful than women, that they should have control over their own lives and the authority over others” (page 7). They were posters that said, “Man the guns”, or “What did you do during the war daddy?” these posters were used to say that man is a protector of the home. World War II also started man power shortages which opened up new advantages for women and minorities, there was less white men. Estes sees this challenge as a white man supremacy, which surfaced around the 1950’s and...
Throughout humanity, human beings have been faced with ethnic hardships, conflict, and exclusion because of the battle for authority. Hence, in human nature, greed, and overall power consumes the mind of some people. Groups throughout the world yearn for the ability to be the mightiest one. These types of conflicts include ethnic shaming, racial exclusion, physical and verbal abuse, enslavement, imprisonment, and even death. Some of these conflicts were faced in all parts of Europe and the Pacific Region during World War II. During this dark time in history, people like Miss.Breed from Dear Miss Breed took initial action in what she thought was right, and gave hope to Japanese Internment Camp children by supplying books and
The book opens "Nous sommes tours Sauvages," which translates to "We are all Savages." It's a fitting way to begin a book chronicling the story of Major Robert Rogers and his rangers journey, Native American slaughter, and return home. In White Devil: A True Story of War, Savagery, and Vengeance in Colonial America, author Stephen Brumwell depicts a well researched, unbiased image of: war, hardship, courage, savagery, vengeance, and survival. Brumwell wants to show his readers an image of the true nature of war and all the trimmings that goes along with it. There has never been a war where atrocities were not committed. Further more, there has never been a war where the atrocities were not committed by all sides, to one extent or another. This war was no different. This compelling read draws from a broad range of primary sources, including Rogers' Journals, contemporary newspaper accounts, the letters and remembrances of Rogers' surviving Rangers, and several generations of Abenaki oral history.
During and after the Great War blacks and left the rural South of Jim Crow Laws, lynching’s, and oppressive economic conditions also known as the Great Migration. “On a political front, participation in WW1 did little to directly advance the equal rights of African Americans.” (National Archives)
World War II was a grave event in the twentieth century that affected millions. Two main concepts World War II is remembered for are the concentration camps and the marches. These marches and camps were deadly to many yet powerful to others. However, to most citizens near camps or marches, they were insignificant and often ignored. In The Book Thief, author Markus Zusak introduces marches and camps similar to Dachau to demonstrate how citizens of nearby communities were oblivious to the suffering in those camps during the Holocaust.
Often, we find ourselves facing dramatic events in our lives that force us to re-evaluate and redefine ourselves. Such extraordinary circumstances try to crush the heart of the human nature in us. It is at that time, like a carbon under pressure, the humanity in us either shatters apart exposing our primal nature, or transforms into a strong, crystal-clear brilliant of compassion and self sacrifice. The books Night written by Elie Wiesel and Hiroshima written by John Hersey illustrate how the usual lifestyle might un-expectantly change, and how these changes could affect the human within us. Both books display how lives of civilians were interrupted by the World War II, what devastations these people had to undergo, and how the horrific circumstances of war were sometimes able to bring out the best in ordinary people.
It can be said that the poor conditions and living styles of Japanese-Canadians were unsafe and unadaptable. A 22-year-old named Tom Tamagi proclaims, “I was a 22 year old Japanese Canadian, a prisoner of my own country of birth. We were confined inside a high wire fence of Hastings park just like caged animals”. Specifically, it is shown that many internees were just thrown into livestock buildings and expected to farm and produce resources, where they were also treated like animals as they were not given any attention and any assistance. This lack of personal care for Japanese-Canadians eventually led them to develop countless diseases, including pneumonia and skin infections, which impacted numerous families as many died. This atrocity of living through poor conditions had a worsening effect on Japanese-Canadians internees physical state. June Fujiyama, an ex-internee, recalled, “[w]hat a shock [it was] to arrive and find the Park surrounded by a high barbed-wire fence and guarded by soldiers who were dressed in khaki and carrying guns. I was incredulous. ‘Those guns are for us?’” To illustrate, Jane is subjected to a view of confinement as she is surprised that such protection and safety precautions are needed for her people, which demonstrates that her race is that much of a potential risk to others, and have to be under control and looked after at all times. Also, the
Those studying the experience of African Americans in World War II consistently ask one central question: “Was World War II a turning point for African Americans?” In elaboration, does World War II symbolize a prolongation of policies of segregation and discrimination both on the home front and the war front, or does it represent the start of the Civil Rights Movement that brought racial equality? The data points to the war experience being a transition leading to the civil rights upheavals of the 1960s.
Smith, Michael O. “Raising a Black Regiment in Michigan: Adversity and Triumph.” Michigan Historical Review 16, no. 2 (October 1990): 22-41. Accessed April 25, 2014. http://jstor.org/stable/20173229.