Qingyun Yang

Tiffany Ingle
ESL 33B
04/22/2015
Japanese American in the World War 2
The first impression is often from a person's appearance, and the skin is a very important
part of appearance. When the United States was founded, it was a mixed race society, which
includes Asians, Europeans and so on. George Clinton who was leader of white people
liberated under American colonial rule. Therefore, whites had a very high status in the United
States, they thought that only white people were the real masters of this land and others were
their slaves. Thus, racism at the time was a very serious social phenomenon. Various forms of
discrimination happened among the people who came from Asian, African and Latino. Even
though American Nisei who grow up in America, they still cannot enjoy equal treatment.
Especially, when the World War 2 happened, many Japanese Americans were suspected spy,
which led them to be serious crackdown. A lot of Japanese Americans wanted to prove their
loyalty in the World War 2 so that they could earn social equality.
Japanese Americans didn't get equal treatment when the war began. In the Southland
that describes a murder against the backdrop of Los Angeles. When the war broke out in Pearl
Harbor, all Japanese adult men were arrested. Americans suffer significant losses due to
attacks from the Japanese. Therefore, they were isolated and subjected to surveillance.
Frank's father died in an isolated place when the second day of the war occurred. Afterword,
Frank was wounded in the war and felt heartache for dead comrades who were Japanese

Americans. One of main reasons is that Japanese American soldiers were usually assigned
difficult tasks by American government.When the president was Franklin D. Roosevelt, he
made a decision which is Executive Order No. 9066. It was unprecedented for Japanese
Americans to be detained. The American government tried to remove Japanese American
communities until the last center was closed, the deeply shadow which is internment
experience affect the Japanese-American community. When it became clear, almost from the
beginning, that the camps were unnecessary from a military standpoint, the governments
goal became resettlement and the widespread scattering of the younger inmates. They were
urged to resettle in the Midwest and East. While the government prepared to sweep mainland
Japanese Americans into camps, the scene in Hawaii was different. There, Japanese
Americans made up nearly 40% of the population. Mass incarceration of Japanese would
have crippled the local economy and been nearly impossible to carry out. Instead, the
government declared Martial Law and kept up a steady campaign of arrests and fear.
Although Japanese Americans arrived in camps, the War Relocation Authority (WRA) was
trying to make a movement for some inmates to Chicago and Cleveland where is faraway
cities. Students and young adults who can look for jobs outside the military zone that Was
first to be"resettled." WRA opened field offices in Chicago in order to increase the speed of
the "placement" in January, 1943 till the end of the year that it opened 40 more. However,
only one-third of inmates had left the camps after two years. The elderly, young children's
mother, and family who have lost everything when they were forced to leave their homes had
little power to re-enter a hostile where is a strange world. There was a massive outflows
When camp closed from 1945 to 1946. Even though many people did not have houses to live,

they still chose to return to the West Coast. Therefore, They had to live in hostels and camps
where looked like the rows of concentration camp barracks.
However, the roles of Japanese Americans are very important in many aspects such as
soldiers, nurses and language trainers. Their loyalty in question, Japanese Americans became
a vital part of the war effort in Hawaii. They served in volunteer organizations and
distinguished themselves in the armed services. Then thousand young men from Hawaii
volunteered for the all Nisei 100th Infantry Battalion, the foundation of the 442nd Regimental
Combat Team. The legendary 442nd team is said to have suffered the highest casualty rate
and to be the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in American history. The
442nd team rescued a Texas army successfully in 1944. Therefore, they get the Medal of
Honor and discuss for racial discrimination in the awarding of medals. Although they are
Americans who is yellow skin, they stand on country position to rescue friendly armies that
compose of white race. These soldiers defended the reputation of their community with their
lives. As a language translator, Japanese Americans used their language skills in different of
ways. Some of them served in Military Intelligence Service (MIS) during the war were kept
secret until recent times. Their roles played in the Pacific Theater. They intercepted and
decoded enemy messages and deciphered key documents. They also acted as liaisons who
communicate with own spy, often went to front-line or enemy hinterland. They were attached
to every unit of the U.S. Armed Forces from the Aleutian Islands to India. Nisei MIS
members also served in Japan as interpreters and translators at the war crimes trials and with
the occupation government after the war ended. Nisei women is part of the members. The
history of Nisei women in the U.S. military began in 1943 when corps started to accept them,

which are the Army Nurse Corps (ANC) and the Women's Army Corps (WAC). For decades,
scholars have revealed the Nisei woman who worked in the army had played different types
of roles. Although women's lives in the United States were affected by World War 2, it is also
an important turning point, it opened opportunities for their military service in the United
States.
In another hands, Japanese Americans treatment became better after the war. The years
since World War 2 have brought many changes to the Japanese American community. Their
postwar communities are now often communities of spirit, not communities of place. The old
generational neighborhoods are mostly gone. The Japan towns that remain have become
places we gather for celebrations, worship and food. Churches and temples still serve as
community centers. Meanwhile. Their unique celebration, theater, music and literature bring
them together and help others hear their voices. Individual Japanese Americans have risen to
prominence in many fields. Social service agencies help them care for the poor and the
elderly. Cultural and historical groups help preserve and present their history for new
audiences and generations. New immigrants, mixed marriages, changing definitions, enrich
their community of spirit. When the war came to an end, American impressions toward
Japanese were totally altered while the U.S. military helped to rebuild Japan. Japanese
intelligence and their aggressive spirits impressed Americans. As a result, in 1952, McCarranWalter Act was passed to naturalize the Japanese in the United States as American citizens. In
1960s, civil rights struggles had a movement require that the United States government
recognize and redress for Japanese Americans who suffered the losses. On August 10, 1988,
the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 was signed into law, which means Japanese Americans got the

apology from the government. While history record that President Ronald Reagan signed the
bill, Japanese Americans know that they win the redress and it belong to their effort. The
redress payment shows that every Japanese American who suffered losses can get at least
20,000 dollars compensation, with up to 80,000 dollars.
In conclusion, Japanese Americans prove their loyalty and treatments have more change
than before. They did not succumb to racism and demonstrated that they were part of the
Americans. Their contributions are not only as a soldier, they also played a role in the aspects
of training and saving life.

Works Cited

Revoyr, Nina. Southland. New York: Akashic Books, 2003. Print. 22 Apr. 2015.
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Dingman, Roger V. "Language At War: U.S. Marine Corps Japanese Language Officers In
The Pacific War." Journal Of Military History 68.3 (2004): 853-883. America:
History and Life with Full Text. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
Moore, Brendal. "Chapter 4: Women's Army Corps Recruitment Of Nisei Women." Serving
Our Country. 88-105. n.p.: Rutgers University Press, 2003. America: History and Life
with Full Text. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.
Genzlinger, Neil. "Hidden Mission of Japanese-Americans in World War II." New York
Times 06 Apr. 2012: 11. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
Ogawa, Masato. "Treatment Of Japanese-American Internment During World War II In U.S.
History Textbooks." International Journal Of Social Education 19.1 (2004): 35-43.
ERIC. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.