ASAMST 20A Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Mike Masaoka, Japanese Americans, Internment Of Japanese Americans
23 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
WWII Effects o Asia Aerica
Couity Otoer 29
I. Camp types
• Internment camps of the Justice Department
o Japanese prisoners of war (ie: at Angel Island)
o Community leaders, politicians, religious and consular (ie: Issei generation of
leaders)
o Hostage chips: community leaders would be held hostage.
• Assembly center WCCA (Wartime Civil Control Administration)
o Majority of the Japanese American population on the west coast
o Located near their original homes
o Temporary living quarters usually in horse stalls; each location could hold
thousands of Japanese
• Relocation Center WRA (War Relocation Agency)
o Remote concentration camps away from cities (hard to escape)
o Farmed and worked for the government to be paid a minimal stipend
o Resegregated loyals vs. disloyals Japanese Americans
▪ Those deemed disloyal were segregated from the loyal, usually Tule Lake
II. Community division
• Mike Masaoka: represented the JACL second generation Americans.
o Believed that Japanese Americans must assimilate by all means, cooperate with
the government removal plans, and support the war effort by 100% compliance
in order to be accepted by Americans.
• James M. Omura: criticized the JACL in his Rocky Shimpo News.
o Colorado-based
o Disageed ith the ostitutioalit of iteet ad the JACL’s position
o Thought internment was the wrong way to treat citizens
III. Tule Lake, CA
• 9 “egegatio of the Disloals Hea Moutai to Tule Lake
• Question 27: Willing to serve in the US Army?
• Question 28: Would they swear allegiance to the US and foreswear allegiance to Japan?
• Answering yes, the Japanese would be considered loyal. Answering no to one or both
questions, the Japanese would be considered disloyal.
IV. Differences over the answering of the loyalty questionnaire
• Yes (68,000 Japanese)
o Proof of loyalty to express loyalty through military service
o Avenue to leave camp
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
o Avenue to attend outside schools
• No (5,300 Japanese)
o Protests against the denial of rights; loss of faith in the government
o Questioned:
▪ Question 27: Serving for the army but the family was still interned?
• No answer or qualified answers (4,600 Japanese)
V. Fair Play Committee (FPC)/Draft Resistors Trial (1944)
• Belieed that the should’t joi the ilita util thei ostitutioal ights to e
recognized/restored.
• Draft resistance movement and held differing community positions and reconciliations
about being in war.
VI. JACL-FPC Debates in the participation in the draft
• JACL: one can gain rights through cooperation and military service.
o Assimilating by expressing loyalty
• FPC: resist draft until government restores their constitutional rights.
o Release of the Issei parents first
o Should be tried for sedition
VII. Differences in framing
• WRA: solved issue through loyal vs. disloyal
• JACL: ageed ith WRA’s positio of loal s. disloyal
• FPC: not a matter of loyalty, but constitutional rights
VIII. Frank Emi
• Pharmacy student/grocer
• Mee of the FPC’s oittee daft potest
• Not eligible for draft
• Served 18 months in Leavenworth Federal Prison in Pennsylvania
IX. Induction into the military
• Japanese willing to serve went through an induction process into the US Army
X. 100th Battalion
• Hawaiian group formed by General Emmons in 1942
• Purple Heart Battalion, meaning wounded or killed in action
o 1400 troops sent to Africa or Europe during WWII
XI. 442nd US Army Regiment
• Nisei from Hawaii and internment camps in the mainland
• 100th Battalion merged with the 442nd regiment
o Battalions were smaller than regiments, so they were absorbed
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
James m. omura: criticized the jacl in his rocky shimpo news: colorado-based, disag(cid:396)eed (cid:449)ith the (cid:272)o(cid:374)stitutio(cid:374)alit(cid:455) of i(cid:374)te(cid:396)(cid:374)(cid:373)e(cid:374)t a(cid:374)d the jacl"s position, thought internment was the wrong way to treat citizens. Answering no to one or both questions, the japanese would be considered disloyal. Jacl-fpc debates in the participation in the draft. Jacl: one can gain rights through cooperation and military service: assimilating by expressing loyalty, fpc: resist draft until government restores their constitutional rights, release of the issei parents first, should be tried for sedition. Differences in framing: wra: solved issue through loyal vs. disloyal. Jacl: ag(cid:396)eed (cid:449)ith wra"s positio(cid:374) of lo(cid:455)al (cid:448)s. disloyal: fpc: not a matter of loyalty, but constitutional rights. Frank emi: pharmacy student/grocer, me(cid:373)(cid:271)e(cid:396) of the fpc"s (cid:272)o(cid:373)(cid:373)ittee d(cid:396)aft p(cid:396)otest, not eligible for draft, served 18 months in leavenworth federal prison in pennsylvania. Post-war barbershop policy: soldiers that tried to get haircuts when they returned were not permitted, (cid:862)we do(cid:374)"t (cid:449)a(cid:374)t japs! (cid:863)
