The Scapegoat

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December 7, 1941 was a military accomplishment for Japan. Japanese Bomber planes had flown over the island of Hawaii and bombed the American naval base Pearl Harbor. After the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, many Americans believed that the Japanese Americans, were disloyal and were sabotaging the United States Government. There were rumors that most Japanese Americans exchanged military information and had hidden connections with Japanese military. None of these claims were ever proven to be true but believed by many at the time. The United States Government became concerned about National Security and demanded action. On Thursday, February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt issued the Executive Order 9066, which called for an evacuation of Japanese Americans on the west coast with the excuse of a “military necessity.” The government’s enforcement of Executive Order 9066 in reaction to the public resulted in the creation of internment camps. Racism had been an ongoing problem in America during the time of WWII. The American citizens were not happy with the arriving of the Japanese immigrants and were not very keen in hiding it. The Japanese were titled with the degrading title of “Japs” and labeled as undesirables. Bombarding propaganda and social restrictions fueled the discrimination towards the Japanese. A depiction of a house owned by white residents shows a bold sign plastered on the roof, blaring “Japs keep moving - This is a white man’s neighborhood” ("Japs Keep Moving - This Is a White Man's Neighborhood"). The white man’s hatred and hostility towards the Japanese could not have been made any clearer. Another source intensifies the racism by representing the Japanese as a swarm of homogeneous Asians with uniform outfits, ... ... middle of paper ... ...se inhabitants, the paranoia of the well being of the nation and the dramatized security threat of the white superior group made Japanese internment immediate and justifiable. Works Cited DeWitt, John L. "Japanese Evacuation from the West Coast." Letter to Chief of State, U.S. Army. 5 June 1943. MS. N.p. Grodzins, Morton. Americans Betrayed. Chicago: University of Chicago press, 1949 "Japs Keep Moving - This Is a White Man's Neighborhood" Digital image. National Japanese American Historical Society, 1920. Web. 5 May 2014. McLemore, Henry. "This is War! Stop Worrying About Hurting Jap Feelings." Seattle Times January 30,1942, Page 6. Web. 5 May 2014. "The War at Home." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 5 May 2014. “Waiting for the Signal From Home…”, PM Magazine, February 13,1942, Dr. Seuss ddndn Collection, MSS230, Special Collections and Archives, UC San Diego Library.

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