After the Japanese invasion attack on Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941, the Americans feared the Japanese. Japanese residents were forced to relocate to internment camps, Manzanar is the most well known being one of ten concentration camps, since the Japanese were seen as dangerous, it was enforced to learn how to be a “loyal American citizen”. Nevertheless, American …show more content…
About 110,000 to 120,000 Japanese Americans were placed in the camps. The Japanese slept and housed in old horse stalls. Many housing units did not even have rooftops. “One of the largest internment camps, Manzanar held more than 10,000 men, women, and children guarded by eight towers with machine.” (page 140, Saari Peggy, Aaron Maurice). The death of James H. Wakasa, was shot and killed because of a close distance standing next to a fence. Death was punishment for any attempted escape. A very little amount of money was spent on food supply. Food was low quality and internee residents had an average of 45 cents to food supply a day. Fours years of passing time inside the camps between February 19, 1942 to March 20, 1946, the Japanese internees were released from …show more content…
There were 1,862 Japanese internee deaths recorded. But still, did the money still justify their experiences? The Japanese had to start from nothing after losing everything including their reputation and pride. It was a said that the Internees had shamed and disgraced themselves as they were embarrassed to discuss about their experiences. Discrimination didn’t stop for the Japanese and it is still continuing for everyone and anyone today. Racism as well still continues. Were their experiences justified to explain to society? The discussion of re-branding the term “internment’’ when accurately should be “concentration”. The Japanese still encountered trauma of great lost to themselves and to their society as well as leaving their homes.
“I am not the enemy I am American” -Joe