CallumMacdonald

11thGradeHumanities
10/16/2013
SupremeCourtReadingEssay

DuringWWII,notonlywasGermanyengulfedinwar,JapanandAmericaweretoo.This
iscalledThePacificWar,mostgenerallythoughtofaspartofWWII.Japanattackedthe
U.S.atPearlHarbor,invokingthiswar.MyGrandpawashereatthistime,hewasapilot
whoflewaP51Mustang,luckilyhedidntgetkilledandwasabletotellmeaboutit.
AspartofdefensetowardsJapan,tomakesuretherewerenoJapanesespiesinthe
UnitedStates,itwasdecidedthatJapanesecurrentlyresidinginAmerica,including
citizensweremoved.Theyweremovedtointernmentcampstobeinterrogatedandtobe
keptuntilthewarwasover.Itwasharshandtheyhadlessfoodandsuppliesthanwere
needed.Theirshelterwasnotsturdy,theirbathroomsnotprivate,andtheydidnthavethe
rightsuppliestokeephealthythroughtheseasons.Itwasaharshthingtodo,atthetimeit
wasdeemednecessary,whetheritwastherightthingtodoornotisyouropinion.Itwas
thoughttohavehelpedussomeinprotectingAmericancitizens,butIpersonallythinkitwas
toomuchtomovehundredsofthousandsofUnitedStatescitizenstowhatwereslightly
betterthanconcentrationcamps.
OneJapaneseman,Korematsu,wasahumanwhowastobetakentooneofthese
campswasnotgoingeasily,heresistedthemoveanditresultedinhimbeingarrestedand
convicted.ItwasfoundthathewasNOTaspy,justanothercitizen,andfeelingasthough
hewasnottreatedfairlyandthatitwasagainstthelawtoarresthimandhundredsof
thousandsofotherpeopleundergeneralsuspicion,hedecidedonacourseofaction.He
chosetosuetheUnitedStatesofAmericabecauseitwasunconstitutionaltobeputinto
internmentcampsbecauseofrace.
KorematsulostVS.TheCourtofAppeals.However,stillunhappyhethentookittothe
supremecourt,theJudgeHugoBlackdecidedandsaiduponalargegroupofAmerican
citizens.Buthardshipsarepartofwar.Compulsoryexclusionoflargegroupsof
citizensfromtheirhomes,exceptundercircumstancesofdirestemergencyandperil,is
inconsistentwithourbasicgovernmentalinstitutions.Butwhenunderconditionsofmodern
warfareourshoresarethreatenedbyhostileforces,thepowertoprotectmustbe
commensuratewiththethreateneddanger.Inotherwords,itwasconstitutionalsinceit
wasconsideredthebestcourseofactiontoprotectALLofthecitizens.
Thiscourtcaserelatestothebookwearereadingrightnowforthebookisabouta
familyanditsproblemsandhappeningsduringinternmentandrelocationcamps.The
familywashavinganicedaythennewsaboutPearlHarborhitsandthingsbeginto
change.ThefatherburnsallJapaneseresemblancesohedoesntgetarrested,buteven
so,theFBIfindsandtakeshim.ThenFranklinRooseveltgavethemilitarypermissionto

movepotentialthreatstonationalsecurity.
ThegovernmentfinallygetstotherestofthisWakatsukifamilyandforcesthemtomove
totheManzanarRelocationcamp,northofLosAngeles.Thefamilynoticeshowpoortheir
shelterandfoodandbathroomsare,itsjustaterribleplacetobe.Theirdadcomesback
andgetsinterrogatedandthesontoo.Theydecidetogetdraftedratherthandeported.
Therestofthebookistheirexperiencesinthecamp,andthatoncethewarisovertheyget
released.Thenattheendofthebookitisaflashforwardtowhenthemaincharacter
Jeanne,hasafamily,shetalksabouthowitallseemedlikeitwasimaginedasshewalks
throughtheoldcampsite.
So,youcansee,thebookrelatestothecaseinthefactitdescribestheconditionsand
experiencesofthosecamps.IthinkthatitwasaterriblethingtodototheJapanese,butif
thegovernmentdeemeditnecessaryitmusthavebeenintheiropiniontherightthingtodo.
Whoknows,itcouldhavesavedusalotofcasualties.