Japanese Internment Research Paper

Words: 636
Pages: 3

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese government launched a surprise attack on the United States’ ‘Pacific Fleet’, located at a naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This heightened anti-immigrant, specifically anti-Japanese sentiment, and after declaring war on Japan, led the United States to put Japanese people in internment camps. A series of photographs have been taken of people and documents during this time period that showcased the impression that the U.S. government tried to give about their internment of Japanese people. The impression that the United States Government tried to display their internment of Japanese people included that it was humane, was liked by Japanese citizens and was beneficial for them. The United States government attempted to portray the internment …show more content…
The caption also noted that they had food even “in the midst of rationing,” in which Americans had less food for their meals. Hence, the government also showed that even within the camps, they were hurting Americans, therefore the internment of Japanese people was justifiable. Additionally, in a photograph taken by Dorothea Langethe, a large family posed for a picture, luggage around their feet and identification tags around each family member's neck. These tags dehumanized the family, displaying them as livestock to be counted. However, the United States government impounded these photos and removed them from the public eye, which created the impression that the Japanese internment was humane. The impression that the United States Government displayed their interest in Japanese people was that Japanese citizens liked it. In a newspaper article, a large image displayed a group of teenage girls “enjoying a softball game.”