Theodore Roosevelt

I
In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who
comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates
himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with
everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any
such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is
predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an
American, and nothing but an American...There can be no
divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American,
but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room
for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one
language here, and that is the English language... and we have
room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the
American people (Theodore Roosevelt, 1907? 1919?).

Theodore Roosevelt indeed wrote these words, but not in 1907 while he
was still President of the United States. The passages were culled from a letter
he wrote to the president of the American Defense Society on January 3, 1919,
three days before Roosevelt died (Emery, 2016).
Then

you

can

deduce

that

immigration

policy

were

considered

immigrants with an American but as long as this should act in good faith and
with loyalty, accepting that there is only one flag and one language: English
America for Americans was other important speech of Theodore
Roosevelt at St. Louis Missouri in May 31, 1916.

In this speech Roosevelt

recognize that America formed a mixture of diverse races or racial origins

we represent many different race strains their ancestors came from distinct
old world nationalities.
Roosevelt believed the American citizens were all people lives in United
State, indifferent

that racial origins, because the strength of the nation was in

the unity of all , regardless of whether they were German, Irish , Danish, French
, Scandinavian , English or another countries of old world.
This thought Roosevelt was born in the context of the First World War ,
where the United States had a policy of neutrality, until the collapse of

2
Lousitania (1915 ) and Soussex (1916 ) by German submarines, lose lives
many American people in sinking both transatlantic ships

faced both

countries and the United States decides to become part of the war.
The Roosevelt speech was a called all American citizens for to confront
the war theme united, independent the racial origins or their

ancestors,

because they were one people one country, including naturalized immigrants ,
their children and their children's children, who were simply Americans.
Likewise thereby try to avoid persecution of Germans and their
descendants, who lived in the United States, and they had the same feeling of
patriotism that any American citizen Nonimmigrant, except the immigrant who
did not become in good faith an American, because in this cause that
immigrant is out of place" in the United States.
the salvation of our people lies in having a nationalized
and unified America, ready for the tremendous tasks of
both war and peace.
Roosevelt in his speech reaffirms the need for compromise, good faith
and loyalty of immigrants to be considered as Americans; otherwise, it will
have

no

place

in

the

United

II
Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy,
[the] United States of America was suddenly and deliberately
attacked by naval and air forces of the empire of Japan. The
United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the
solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its
government and its emperor, looking towards the maintenance
of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air
squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of
Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States, and his
colleague, delivered to our secretary of state a formal reply to a
recent American message. Japan has therefore undertaken a
surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The
facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people
of the United States have already formed their opinions, and
well understand the implications for the very life and safety of
our nation. With confidence in our armed forces, with the
unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the

States

3
inevitable triumph so help us God [applause]. I ask that the
Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly
attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war
has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.
(Holocaust Encyclopedia. Portion of the speech in which
President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked the US Congress to
declare war on Japan following the previous day's surprise attack
on Pearl Harbor).

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, President of the United State, at December 7

th, 1941 a cause surprise attack a military base Pearl Harbor for aviation
Japanese kamikaze declare war of Japanese Empire.
In addition, Roosevelt was pressure on public opinion and disconcert
about American-Japanese in American territory, decided signed an Executive
Order 9066 in February 1942 (Forner et all, 1991) ordering the relocation of all
Americans of Japanese ancestry in concentration camps in the interior of
United State. Besides the children of Japanese born in the United States, called
Nisei, should renounce US citizenship.
Americans Japanese to evacuate the West Coast and were internment in
concentration camps during the Second World War. According to the census of
1940, already 127.000 persons of Japanese ancestry lived in the United State,
the majority on the West Coast. One-third had been born in Japan, and in some
states could not own land, be naturalized as citizens, or vote. Ten internment
camps were established in California, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado,
and Arkansas (Forner et all, 1991).

A consequence to evacuation many Japanese American families sold

their houses, stores, abandoned property and possessions, not only represent
material assets, represent for us ancestral tradition and custom. The damage
did

not

was

quantify

because

the

loss

not

only

was

material,

also had moral losses, which affected the dignity and honor of Japanese
American families, which jealously guarded its traditions.

The comfortable house in West Coast, where lives the American

Japanese, was to force to live in barracks with minimum services, moreover

5
this barracks didnt had adequate structure for support the inclemency of
climate the western state: in summer very hot and winter very cold.
Each barracks was divided into six units, sixteen by twenty
feet, about the size of a living room, with one bare bulb
hanging from the ceiling and an oil stove for heat
(Wakatsuki, 86)

Ten

camps

completed

were

finally

in

remote

areas

of

seven

western

states.

was

spartan,

consisting

of

tarpaper

barracks. Families

Housing
mainly

dined together at

communal

halls, and children

were expected to

attend

Adults

school.

option of working

had

mess
the

for a salary of $5

per day. The United States government hoped that the interns could make the

6
camps self-sufficient by farming to produce food. But cultivation on arid soil
was

quite

challenge

(51e.

Japanese-American

internment.

http://www.ushistory.org/us/51e.asp).

The measure of Roosevelt to relocate the Japanese Americans was a

real violation of human rights and civil liberties, due to Japanese US citizens
was condemned ostracized because in their veins ran ancestral Japanese
blood. It was an act of truth discrimination, segregation and racism.
Theodore Roosevelt from 1907 to 1919 established his doctrine of
Americanism in accordance with which American citizens were considered
immigrants, due to was necessary to show a strong and united nation.
Theodore Roosevelt asked only loyalty, good faith and respect for the flag and
language, otherwise it would have no place in the country.
Now analyzing the action taken in 1942, it perhaps was interpreted
that the thought of Theodore Roosevelt did not refer to Japanese culture,
because was only applicate the immigrants who came from the old world,
father foundation of nation .

The Japanese not being European, Japanese

from the far east, in consequence not applicable to them notions of

Americanism.
Then did not import abolished their citizenship to Japanese Americans,
those born in the United States (Nisei) either cause them material and
moral damages until long after having completed the Second World War.

In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who

comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates
himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with
everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any
such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin.

7
Preaches equality of all men are Americans of origin or immigrants,
proposed by Theodore Roosevelt was a dead letter in this period of American
history. The American Japanese it cannot be helped discrimination, humiliation
and violation of fundamental rights and freedoms of men and citizens.

The Supreme Court of United State upheld the legality of the relocation
order in Hirabayashi v. United States and Korematsu v.United States. Early in
1945, Japanese-American citizens of undisputed loyalty were allowed to return
to the West Coast, but not until March 1946 was the last camp closed. A 1948
law provided for reimbursement for property losses by those interned. In 1988,
Congress awarded restitution payments of twenty thousand dollars to each
survivor of the camps; it is estimated that about 73,000 persons will eventually
receive this compensation for the violation of their liberties (Forner, 1991).

III
Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and her husband, James D. Houston, recount
the Wakatsuki family's internment at Manzanar War Relocation Center, one of
ten concentration camps devised by President Franklin Roosevelt's Executive
Order 9066 following the Japanese surprise bombing of Pearl Harbor on
December 7, 1941.

The narrator is a point of view a child, seven years ago who

understand that situation since her innocent world. Child narrator it give an
intimate character to the story; generated empathy with situation described,
because it allowed to connected

with every moment living for Wakatsuki

family. Every American Japanese was represent Wakatsuki families.

It cannot be helped was a feeling story, there is expression of pain for

lost the home and valuable assets representing customs and traditions of an
ancient culture like the Japanese.

9
Mama had left all but her most valuable possessions in
Ocean Park, simply because she had nowhere to put them.
She had brought along her pottery, her silver, heirlooms
like the kimonos. Granny had brought from Japan tea sets,
lacquered tables and one fine old set of china, blue and
white porcelain, almost translucent (Wakatsuki, 83).
The Caucasian servers were thinking that the fruit poured
over rice would make a good desert. Among the Japanese,
of course, rice is never eaten with sweet foods, only with
salty or savory foodsI was horrified when I saw the
apricot syrup seeping through my little mound of rice
(Wakatsuki, 86).
While the relocation camps of Japanese Americans do not approach the
Nazi concentration camps, the fact remains that in both individual rights and
freedoms were violated. Jews were subjected atrocity and to the greatest
violence: loss of life; the American Japanese were also subjected to public
ridicule , the closure and were curtailed their basic rights as well as attentive to
their customs and traditions.
Then this book works not only as an autobiography, but also is a
painful memory of a situation that should not be repeated ever. It is a wakeup
call to the collective consciousness, through recounting events experienced
personally, part of not only personal story of those who tell but is part of the
history of humanity .
The factual narrative follows her through three decades of
silent denial to adulthood, when she is, at last, able to
reveal the misery, the degradation of her family and race,
and exorcise Manzanar with an act of public enlightenment
(Wakatsuki Jeanne et all. Farewell to Manzanar. Available
on line: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/f/farewell-tomanzanar/jeanne-w-houston-and-james-d-houstonbiography).
The concentration or relocation camps or wants to call them were a
demonstration of human intolerance, in that places concentrated abused of
power, segregation, discrimination, xenophobic, racism and hatred apologize.

10
Unfortunately the concentration camps keep repeating over and over the
course of history. We currently have Guantanamo , Islamic State Isis , the
Taliban, Tascon list, Socialism XXI and many other examples, in which human
rights and freedoms are at latent risk because every sector in struggle does not
recognize his opponent and vice versa.
Between we and us, them and they are; you and me, ordinary human
beings with ordinary and common live, that simply just want to live our lives
fully, regardless of race, gender or religion that neighbor.
Sadly the solution is far and out of our hands, maybe now all live in a
concentration camp, that place where we locked our lives as the greatest
possession, without possible of relocation our lives. In conclusion, everybody
are Wakatsuki people.

Bibliographic References
51e.
Japanese-American
internment.
Available
http://www.ushistory.org/us/51e.asp. [Consulted, March 19, 2016]

on

line:

Emery, David (2016). What Theodore Roosevelt said about immigrant?

Available on line: http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/government/fl/WhatTheodore-Roosevelt-Said-About-Immigrants.htm. [Consulted, March 19, 2016]
Forner, Eric et all (1991). The readers companion to American history.
Japanese American relocation. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company .
History Channel. Available on line: http://www.history.com/topics/world-warii/japanese-american-relocation. [Consulted, March 19, 2016]
Holucaust
Encyclopedia.
Available
on
line:
https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/media_fi.php?MediaId=153. [Consulted, March
19, 2016]
Wakatsuki Jeanne et all. Farewell to Manzanar. Available on line:
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/f/farewell-to-manzanar/jeanne-w-houstonand-james-d-houston-biography. [Consulted, March 19, 2016]