HIST 114 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Santa Barbara City College, Executive Order 9066, Nisei
History 114
The Immigrant Experience in the United States
History Department
Santa Barbara City College
4 Unit Course
GE
Fall 2018
Notes:
● Executive Order 9066 was the first step in a campaign that uprooted Japanese-Americans
from their West Coast communities and put them under armed guard for up to four years.
o More than 120,000 Japanese Americans, including almost 70,000 American
citizens, were interned in camps far from their homes.
o As the executive order was signed by Roosevelt, Japanese Americans were
stunned to.
o Most had been deeply offended by the fears of their fellow Americans.
o Originally they thought of themselves as Americans and now they were
considered rivals simply because of their race.
● Many Japanese Americans took legal action to oppose those actions.
o One illustration was Mitsuye Endo, who was fired from her State job in California
and sent to a detention center.
▪ Endo objected to her rights being abused.
o She was a US citizen who worked with a partner in the US
● According to the Military
o In July 1942, an attorney representing Endo brought a lawsuit against the US
government.
o The Endo case was one of several cases which would ultimately find its way to
the Supreme Court.
▪ And, as in most cases, it would take years for the nation's highest court to
consider the legal process.
● As Japanese Americans tried to understand why their country turned against them.
o In 1942 a woman in central California, Mary Tsukamoto, expressed her
indignation at Roosevelt's actions.
▪ "We'd been busy raising strawberries and harvesting crops that would
really help our country.
▪ We couldn't believe that all of us would have to stop working to raise our
berries, food for victory.
● In Hawaii there was no such anti-Japanese feeling, even though the region, where Pearl
Harbor is located, was 3,000 miles (4,800 km) closer to the enemy.
o Dust went through our hands, eyes, noses and lungs, "Uchida recalled a few years
later".
o Our energy went to keep our room dusty, swept, and mopped.
▪ "The process of coordinating and relocating Japanese Americans began in
1942.
Document Summary
As japanese americans tried to understand why their country turned against them. In 1942 a woman in central california, mary tsukamoto, expressed her indignation at roosevelt"s actions. "we"d been busy raising strawberries and harvesting crops that would really help our country: we couldn"t believe that all of us would have to stop working to raise our berries, food for victory. In hawaii there was no such anti-japanese feeling, even though the region, where pearl. Harbor is located, was 3,000 miles (4,800 km) closer to the enemy: dust went through our hands, eyes, noses and lungs, "uchida recalled a few years later", our energy went to keep our room dusty, swept, and mopped. "the process of coordinating and relocating japanese americans began in: meanwhile, united states forces won a vital naval battle at midway"s pacific. Those who were interned did not have to return to homes, property or businesses in many situations.
