As Americans, we all have civil rights. After the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II, these rights were taken away from the Japanese Americans. They were forced to leave their daily lives (job, house, and friends). These Japanese Americans on the mainland were put into concentration camps and left there for 4 years. During World War II, The Japanese-Americans were withheld from their rights and were forced to leave their homes and relocate to internment camps. During this time, America did not uphold their responsibilities, as the Japanese-Americans were not treated equally.
On the day of the attack, Japan succeeded with their plan of “surprise.” The United States had “ no defenses and many of their guns were not loaded” (Keegan 255). Although they saw many aircrafts approaching through the radar that was installed at the harbor, the Americans thought nothing of it (Keegan 254). Because of the unexpected Japanese move, the United States suffered greatly on December 7, 1941; Japan successfully sank and damaged 18 US ships, 8 battleships, and 180 planes. In addition, thousands of innocent Americans lost their lives that day, and many homes were completely destroyed. Once Yamamoto heard the results of the attack, he was thrilled; Japan successfully carried out their long scheduled attack (Axelrod 152). However, his joy soon ended as on December 8, the day after the bombing, when Roosevelt declared war against Japan (Axelrod 149).
On December 7th, 1941, Japanese aircrafts attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor (Axelrod 148). Before this, the United States had not entered World War II, but this changed everything. The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise, which consisted of two waves. By the end of the day, many United S...
... middle of paper ...
...s were deprived from their rights as United States citizens. The United States did not maintain their responsibilities to their people. Before the camps were finished being built, the Japanese Americans were sent to various sights. For example, stables at racetracks were used. The internment camps did not have acceptable conditions. Many fell ill because of diseases that spread very easily and quickly. Also, because they were located in Western states, it was very hard to grow food because the soil was a challenge. Civil rights were taken away from the Japanese Americans for a period of time. It also connects back to World War II, specifically Pearl Harbor, which changed American history. America did not handle their responsibilities well during this period of time. Although there was an inequality of rights, we have grown since then and learned from our mistakes.
It is not a well known fact that around the time the Holocaust took place in Europe, another internment (less extreme) was taking place in the United States. “Betrayed by America” by Kristin Lewis gives readers an insight on what happened to Japanese-Americans in America. The article tells us about Hiroshi Shishima, Japanese-Americans internment, and what was going on during the regime. During WW2, America went into a frenzy after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Many Americans believed what was being said about Japanese-Americans even though it was proven to be false. Since the whole fiasco with Japan took place, many Japanese-Americans were forced into internment in certain parts of the United States. The reason for the internment of Japanese-Americans was due to fear & hysteria, racial
The conditions the Japanese Americans were put through were horrible and everyone deserves to be treated equally. The worst part was the persecution of numerous innocent people because they did nothing wrong. The outbreak of hysteria was a big part of them being thrown into camps because the government thought they were working with Japan. In the Internment Camps and Salem Witch Trials people had no evidence and were treated unfairly, making them similar even though it was two different time
The Battle of Pearl Harbor was one of the most atrocious events that happened in U.S. history. On December 7, 1941, Japan made a surprise aerial attack on the United States naval base and airfields at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. More than two thousand Americans died and a thousand two hundred were wounded. Eighteen ships were badly damaged, including five battleships. The next day, President Franklin Roosevelt with the support of the Congress, declared war on Japan. It led United States’ official involvement in World War II. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor because of a deteriorating relationship with the U. S. The “New World Order”, expansion and resources, and economic sanctions were factors that conducted to another disaster on the Second World War.
What were the Japanese internment camps some might ask. The camps were caused by the attack of Pearl Harbor in 1942 by Japan. President Roosevelt signed a form to send all the Japanese into internment camps.(1) All the Japanese living along the coast were moved to other states like California, Idaho, Utah, Arkansas, Colorado, Wyoming and Arizona. 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 were trying to be cautious. Many 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.(2)
In conclusion, the United State Government did justify its actions for internment camps of Japanese Americans during World War II. However, how these fears and concerns were handle is a matter of violation of civil liberties even though it is the governments duty to preserve democracy. The Supreme Court has viewed past injustices as learning tools for future issues. Some similarities have appeared in modern history to the Japanese Americans injustices with the Arab Americans. Overall both groups have had to sacrifice their personal privacy at the cost of national security of the whole country.
World War II was a time of deliberate hate among groups of innocent people who were used as scapegoats. Japanese-Americans were persecuted due to the fact that they looked like citizens of Japan, who had attacked the United States on December 7th, 1941 at the naval base, Pearl Harbor. This hatred toward the group was due to newspapers creating a scare for the American people, as well as the government restricting the rights of Japanese-Americans. The Japanese-Americans were mistreated during World War II for no other reason than being different. These men, women, and children were loathed by the American public for looking like the people of the Japanese army that had attacked the United States. These people were only hated by association, even though many had come to the United States to create a better life for their family.
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.
On December 7,1941 Japan raided the airbases across the islands of Pearl Harbour. The “sneak attack” targeted the United States Navy. It left 2400 army personnel dead and over a thousand Americans wounded. U.S. Navy termed it as “one of the great defining moments in history”1 President Roosevelt called it as “A Day of Infamy”. 2 As this attack shook the nation and the Japanese Americans became the immediate ‘focal point’. At that moment approximately 112,000 Persons of Japanese descent resided in coastal areas of Oregon, Washington and also in California and Arizona.3
It’s a beautiful sunny morning, on a tropical island that everyone would love to take a vacation at. It’s approximately 6:00 am, December 7, 1941, when a first group of 181 kamikaze planes attacked; targeting key naval bases stationed at Hawaii; a sustained crippling of U.S. naval forces for about 6 months. The death toll was 2,500. Out of the 9 battleships, 8 were heavily damaged by the assault on Pearl Harbor and out of the 8, three were unrepairable, USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, and the USS Utah. 160 aircrafts were put out of commission, and nearly 130 were heavily damaged. This was the first incident in which there was an act of war, committed on U.S. soil, outside of the American Revolution and the Civil War. The world was at war, and the U.S. remained neutral until now. Before the attack, the U.S. was in great debate whether to enter the war or to stay out of it. The act of war forced the U.S. into the War and triggered a controversial debate in whether to retaliate against Japan with the use of nuclear arms.
“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” These words were spoken the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt. The bombing of Pearl Harbor cost more than 2,000 lives and nearly destroyed 20 naval vessels. Eight of these ships happened to be battleships, but luckily no aircraft carriers were in the area. On December 8, the day after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt gave his address to the nation. He ended this address with, “I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire,” thus beginning the United States role in WWII.
On the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941, a mysterious aircraft circled overhead U.S. navy’s most important naval base at Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Many personnel misunderstood the situation as a naive pilot flying in unauthorized areas until additional planes appeared atop with red circles, which were promulgated as the rising sun, the Japanese symbol for war (Wukovits 8). However, this “surprise” attack came with a reason: The U.S. had been at political odds with Japan for over a decade, as it had ceased importing oil shipments from Japan. Although the military tried to defend themselves to their utmost power, America was not prepared enough. Bombs were dropped, destroying infrastructure, killing 2,403 civilians and wounding 1,178 others (Kiong 1). Franklin D. Roosevelt, and navy personnel could have prevented these losses. In retrospect,there were many prognostications that, if were scrutinized more meticulously, the United States government could have used to prepare
“Early on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, Japanese bombers attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, killing more than 2,400 Americans. They destroyed or heavily damaged eight battleships, three cruisers, three destroyers, and almost two hundred airplanes (Henretta, p.732).” That day caught America off guard and by surprise. Nobody expected someone to attack us on our own soil. It is one thing to attack our Soldiers throughout the world, but to come to our country was a brazen act that almost certainly demanded
In 1941, one of the largest American military defeats occurred. An entire naval fleet was destroyed, hundreds were killed, all before nine A.M. on a Sunday morning. The US did not have any knowledge of this attack, mostly because of their own ignorance, partially because of the military strategies of their Japanese opponents. The Japanese attack on the US naval base of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was a classic case of "It will not happen to me!" Although the US suspected the Japanese actions, they were not ready because they believed an attack would never happen on American grounds. Through an examination of military history, tactics and eye witness descriptions, it will be proven that the US had no knowledge of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, but had sufficient warnings from the Japanese and others that an attack was imminent.
On December 7, 1941 the ultimate disaster in the history of the United States occurred. “Pearl Harbor is a lagoon island on the island of Hawaii” . The deep-water Naval Base for the United States Pacific Fleet was docked and filled with United States servicemen. On that calm, Sunday morning the last thing expected was an attack. The United States had deciphered Japan’s code earlier about the surprise attack, but was too late to figure out the location. Since the attack by the Japanese was so awful, many lives were lost and the mindset of America was drastically changed. “2.335 servicemen were killed in this attack and 68 civilians” . Unprepared for this surprise attack, overhead Japanese planes and under water submarines were prepared to do major damage. Bombs were dropped on land, American planes, and ships. One was the greatly known USS Arizona, which sunk within seconds. Overall 9 ships were sunken and 21 ships were severely damaged. Under the command of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the Japanese successfully damaged the Pearl Harbor Naval Base.
In the midst of WWII, the U.S. trust of Japan spiraled downward as explosions flew over Pearl Harbor. On December 7,1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. After the attacks, the Japanese-Americans were placed in internment camps. They were removed from their homes, and placed in homes and camps on the Pacific Coast. Many people argued whether the internment of Japanese-Americans was justified or not justified. The internment of Japanese-Americans was definitely justified because the U.S. needed to protect the West Coast, the U.S. wasn’t taking any chances during WWII, and the Japanese could help the U.S. with the war efforts.