Japanese+Internment

Name: __Isuzu__ Nakaya Age: 25 Hometown: San Francisco School: n/a Relationships: Mother of two children (2 yrs, 6 months), married to Japanese immigrant Ethnicity: Japanese American Birthday: May 8 Occupation: Schoolteacher

December 7th, 1941 is a day that we Americans will never forget. It is also a day that will never be forgiven. The next day, the United States declared war on Japan, and I am split two ways, between two worlds. I am a Japanese American, born in San Francisco but to parents who immigrate from Japan. I had nevr imagined a catastrophe such as this, nor has any member of my family or fellow Japanese Americans.

Instantly the nation was gripped with hysteria and fear, especially along my home of the west coast. Americns began tao fear that all of us Japanese had been on the attack, and were forming conspiracies and plotting sabotage such as implanting mines in harbors and poisoning food. (Danzer et al. 599).

Residents began to push the evactuation of all Japanese from the area and relocated to barren and isolated inland camps. It was said to be the good of the country, and caving into the pressure from the millions of outraged citizens, President Roosevelt signed Order 9066 which was along these lines. The forcible internment of 120,000 Japanese ancestry....in short, moving us to Rntelocation centers. but they were more like segregation camps! . My family and I were among the victims of this relocations and y..many others I knew who had always been loyal to the contry. (Asian 1).

The camps were mainly located in desert areas like Utah, Idaho, and Colorado, and for almost four years me and my family lived in these camps, and the one we lived in was one of the worst in Tule Lake, northern California. Often there was many strikes and riots my fellows gave, which soley angered and irritated the soldiers in charge, and cause them to further tighten rules and regulatoins.

It wasn't until March 1946 that Roosevelt rescinded the Order 9066, and two years later Tule Lake camp closed in 1946. (Noe 2).

Young Japanese American schoolchildren protest against thi rment Act. http://library.thinkquest.org/04apr/00065/graphics/Camp3.jpg

WORKS CITED

Danzer, Gerald A. et al. __The Americans__. Evanston, Illinois: McDougal Littell Inc., 2003.

Noe, Michael. "Japanese-American Internment Camps During World War II". __Marriot Library, University of Ohio__. 23 October 2007. 

"Asian Americans-Japanese Internment". __AsianAmericans.com__. 23 October 2007. 