Aston Davies
When we think of the history of concentration camps, our minds often turn to the horrors of Nazi Germany during World War II. However, across the Atlantic Ocean lay a lesser-known chapter of history that unfolded in the United States at the same time: the internment of Japanese Americans. In California, these internment camps represent a dark blot on the nation's history, casting a long shadow over the lives of innocent Japanese Americans.
The story of Japanese internment in California begins with the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Following the surprise attack by Japanese forces against a naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, the United States entered World War II. In the wake of this attack, the government's fear of potential espionage and sabotage led to a wave of anti-Japanese sentiment, particularly on the West Coast. This climate of fear and prejudice culminated in Executive Order 9066, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, and authorized the forced removal and internment of over 120,000 Japanese Americans living on the West Coast, the majority of whom were U.S. citizens. This order upended the lives of Japanese American families, forcing them to leave their homes, businesses, and communities behind, with little more than they could carry. They were herded into internment camps scattered across the United States, including several in California.
California played a significant role in the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Several internment camps were established in the state, including the most notorious: Manzanar, Tule Lake, and Topaz. These camps housed thousands of Japanese Americans under harsh, inhumane, and often degrading conditions.
Located in the Owens Valley of Eastern California, the Manzanar internment camp held over 10,000 people. The camp embodied an inhospitable nature as it was situated in an arid and desolate region. Despite the challenging conditions, Japanese Americans at Manzanar continued establishing a sense of community as they developed schools, churches, and even a newspaper amidst their internment.
The Tule Lake internment camp, located in northern California, was originally intended to be a "segregation center" for those deemed disloyal. It eventually became the largest internment camp, holding nearly 19,000 people. Tensions between pro-American and pro-Japanese factions often led to protests, strikes, and clashes with camp authorities.
Life in the internment camps was a mixture of hardship and isolation. Families were often crowded into hastily constructed barracks, and privacy was nonexistent. The camps bore an eerie resemblance to prisons with their barbed wire surroundings and the guard towers that stood watch. Inadequate healthcare, meager rations, and harsh weather made life even more challenging.
Although the internment of Japanese Americans is now widely recognized as a grave injustice, it still sheds light on the country's racially discriminatory past. The enactment of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 which authorized the forced removal of Japanese Americans coincided with segregation policies against Blacks in the South. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act, formally apologizing for the internment and providing reparations to survivors. The act acknowledged that Roosevelt's order was not based on military necessity but rather on "race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership."
The internment of Japanese Americans stands as a testament to the fragility of civil liberties in times of crisis and the enduring strength and resilience of those who suffered through it. It remains vital to remember this dark chapter in American history, not only to
continue building a more inclusive and just society that values civil liberties and human rights but also honors the Japanese Americans who endured these hardships.