Treatment
Japanese Americans in the internment camps were treated very poorly and had many difficulties during this time. The American government had little concern about the lives of the Japanese American people. The Japanese endured harsh living conditions and treatment from the moment they arrived at the camps. When the Japanese Americans arrived at Minidoka, a small camp in Idaho, they were forced to use outhouses for the entire year since the sewer system had not been built.[1] This is only the beginning of the countless ways the Japanese American got mistreated in these camps.
Devastation swarmed the lives of the Japanese American People. Many Japanese lost all emotional security, their cultural traditions became damaged, and their economic situation destroyed. They all began to rely on the American government for even their most basic needs. The camps were organized in "blocks" consisting of twelve to fourteen barracks, a mess hall, communal showers and toilets, laundry facilities, and a recreation hall.[2] The United States government planned to make the Japanese self-sufficient within the camps by offering adults jobs for approximately five dollars per day. Schools were established in the camps but had very little funding for teaching materials or activities. Many children were forced to attend class within these camps and made many friends in the process. This forced the Japanese parents to loose authoritative power of their children due to being away from them for more time.[3] The War Relocation Authority (WRA) intentionally emphasized nationalism and Americanization within these educational systems.[4] They did this by establishing a “Statement of Guiding Principles,” which was a list of rules that ensures the Japanese Americans will be treated according to their loyalty to the country.[5]
The Japanese Americans lifestyle began to change greatly within the camps. The living conditions became torturous at many of the camps. In the desert camps, the Japanese experienced extreme climates. The winters got as cold as minus thirty-five degrees and summers as hot as 115 degrees. Not only were there severe temperatures, but there was also over population problems in many of the camps. For example, in Gila River, Arizona, over 7,700 people were stationed in a camp large enough for approximately five thousand. In some cases, about twenty-five Japanese were forced into spaces only big enough for four or five people.[6] Families were each given their own room in the barracks to share. These rooms had no running water and were usually only large enough for standing room only. The quality of food served to the Japanese in the camps was very cheap and poor. There was always a shortage of fresh meats and milk. Hotdogs, dried fish, pancakes, macaroni and pickled vegetables became the common meals in the camps because they are inexpensive and easy to prepare. This motivated the Japanese Americans to grow their own food in order to add nutrition expand their diets.[7] Farming became an important part of the Japanese American lifestyle during this time.
Many actions were taken by the Japanese people in order to fight for their rights as United States citizens and become a part of our society. These actions included the filing several federal court cases, organizing many demonstrations and strikes, leading boycotts, publishing many books and essays, and supporting the sympathetic whites.[8] Some white people even protested for the Japanese Americans in the camps. For example, the Presbytery of the Redwoods petition was an attempt to free the innocent Japanese Americans by holding hearings in the camps and allowing the innocent to go home.[9] Some Japanese decided that they would rather fight for us than be held captive in a camp. After the Japanese had been in the camps for some time, a loyalty questionnaire was handed out to try and determine which Japanese Americans were loyal or disloyal. The Japanese who passed this questionnaire were considered loyal and eligible for duty in the United States Army. Those who answered “no” on this handout were sent away to Tule Lake, a camp designated for segregation.[10] The American government didn’t realize that they were doing the exact same thing that the Nazis did to the Jews. This lead to the Internment camps becoming known as America’s Concentration Camps.[11]
[1] Steve Ladd, PBS, Children of the Camps, http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/index.html (2013).
[2] Incarceration Camps, http://archive.densho.org/main.aspx (2013).
[3] US History: Japanese-American Internment, Independence Hall Association http://www.ushistory.org/us/51e.asp (2008).
[4] Proposed Questions (1943), retrieved from Densho Digital Archives, accessed on May 2, 2013. http://archive.densho.org/main.aspx
[5] A Statement of Guiding Principles of the WRA (1943), retrieved from Densho Digital Archives, accessed on May 3, 2013. http://archive.densho.org/Resource/popupenlarged.aspx?i=denshopd-p156-00132
[6] Steve Ladd, PBS, Children of the Camps, http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/index.html (2013).
[7] Incarceration Camps, http://archive.densho.org/main.aspx (2013).
[8] C.N. Le, Asian Nation, Construction and Destruction: Japanese American Internment,
http://www.asian-nation.org/internment.shtml (2013).
[9] Petition to Congress from the Presbytery of the Redwoods, (1942), retrieved from Densho Digital Archives, accessed on May 3, 2013. http://archive.densho.org/Resource/popupenlarged.aspx?i=denshopd-i67-00073
[10] Incarceration Camps, http://archive.densho.org/main.aspx (2013).
[11] Japanese Internment Camps and Their Effects, http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312008/bhjic.html (2003)
Devastation swarmed the lives of the Japanese American People. Many Japanese lost all emotional security, their cultural traditions became damaged, and their economic situation destroyed. They all began to rely on the American government for even their most basic needs. The camps were organized in "blocks" consisting of twelve to fourteen barracks, a mess hall, communal showers and toilets, laundry facilities, and a recreation hall.[2] The United States government planned to make the Japanese self-sufficient within the camps by offering adults jobs for approximately five dollars per day. Schools were established in the camps but had very little funding for teaching materials or activities. Many children were forced to attend class within these camps and made many friends in the process. This forced the Japanese parents to loose authoritative power of their children due to being away from them for more time.[3] The War Relocation Authority (WRA) intentionally emphasized nationalism and Americanization within these educational systems.[4] They did this by establishing a “Statement of Guiding Principles,” which was a list of rules that ensures the Japanese Americans will be treated according to their loyalty to the country.[5]
The Japanese Americans lifestyle began to change greatly within the camps. The living conditions became torturous at many of the camps. In the desert camps, the Japanese experienced extreme climates. The winters got as cold as minus thirty-five degrees and summers as hot as 115 degrees. Not only were there severe temperatures, but there was also over population problems in many of the camps. For example, in Gila River, Arizona, over 7,700 people were stationed in a camp large enough for approximately five thousand. In some cases, about twenty-five Japanese were forced into spaces only big enough for four or five people.[6] Families were each given their own room in the barracks to share. These rooms had no running water and were usually only large enough for standing room only. The quality of food served to the Japanese in the camps was very cheap and poor. There was always a shortage of fresh meats and milk. Hotdogs, dried fish, pancakes, macaroni and pickled vegetables became the common meals in the camps because they are inexpensive and easy to prepare. This motivated the Japanese Americans to grow their own food in order to add nutrition expand their diets.[7] Farming became an important part of the Japanese American lifestyle during this time.
Many actions were taken by the Japanese people in order to fight for their rights as United States citizens and become a part of our society. These actions included the filing several federal court cases, organizing many demonstrations and strikes, leading boycotts, publishing many books and essays, and supporting the sympathetic whites.[8] Some white people even protested for the Japanese Americans in the camps. For example, the Presbytery of the Redwoods petition was an attempt to free the innocent Japanese Americans by holding hearings in the camps and allowing the innocent to go home.[9] Some Japanese decided that they would rather fight for us than be held captive in a camp. After the Japanese had been in the camps for some time, a loyalty questionnaire was handed out to try and determine which Japanese Americans were loyal or disloyal. The Japanese who passed this questionnaire were considered loyal and eligible for duty in the United States Army. Those who answered “no” on this handout were sent away to Tule Lake, a camp designated for segregation.[10] The American government didn’t realize that they were doing the exact same thing that the Nazis did to the Jews. This lead to the Internment camps becoming known as America’s Concentration Camps.[11]
[1] Steve Ladd, PBS, Children of the Camps, http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/index.html (2013).
[2] Incarceration Camps, http://archive.densho.org/main.aspx (2013).
[3] US History: Japanese-American Internment, Independence Hall Association http://www.ushistory.org/us/51e.asp (2008).
[4] Proposed Questions (1943), retrieved from Densho Digital Archives, accessed on May 2, 2013. http://archive.densho.org/main.aspx
[5] A Statement of Guiding Principles of the WRA (1943), retrieved from Densho Digital Archives, accessed on May 3, 2013. http://archive.densho.org/Resource/popupenlarged.aspx?i=denshopd-p156-00132
[6] Steve Ladd, PBS, Children of the Camps, http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/index.html (2013).
[7] Incarceration Camps, http://archive.densho.org/main.aspx (2013).
[8] C.N. Le, Asian Nation, Construction and Destruction: Japanese American Internment,
http://www.asian-nation.org/internment.shtml (2013).
[9] Petition to Congress from the Presbytery of the Redwoods, (1942), retrieved from Densho Digital Archives, accessed on May 3, 2013. http://archive.densho.org/Resource/popupenlarged.aspx?i=denshopd-i67-00073
[10] Incarceration Camps, http://archive.densho.org/main.aspx (2013).
[11] Japanese Internment Camps and Their Effects, http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312008/bhjic.html (2003)
Lifestyle
Although Japanese Americans were taken away from their lives and kept distant from American society, internees still managed to keep a sense of normalcy in the camps. Which became essential to surviving and dealing with this drastic change. By trying to keep the best possible lifestyle in the camps, Japanese Americans hoped that the American Government and people would understand that they were trustworthy and that they were truly American.
Upon arriving at the camps, Internees had to quickly cope and figure out how they were going to endure this major change in their lifestyle. One of the ways in which they accomplished this was by creating newspapers. On April 11th, 1942 the Manzanar Free Press released its first issue, “It will be ‘printed’ exclusively in English, manned entirely by Japanese. It covers the camp activities, and we will try to make it as informative and as entertaining as any of the big dailies running on multiple presses”.[1] All ten internment camps had their own newspaper, all of which were run by the internees. The contents of the newspaper articles were mainly information on news and activities in the camps. It was also a way of keeping the people united. In the Gila River Internment Camp, based in Arizona, the Gila News-Courier printed “Let us hope together that the troubles of the world will soon be over and that we shall again live in peace and happiness”, giving the people faith that they would eventually be set free and once again have their little opportunities given back.[2]
Other ways in which camps tried to keep themselves normal and in many ways distracted as to what was happening around them was through social events. Dances were a common event around the camp, which allowed the internees to have some fun.[3]America’s favorite pass time also became a key role in maintaining a sense of normalcy and Americanisms. Baseball was quite popular in the internment camps, in the Manzanar Camp by July 2, 1942, 80 teams had been formed.[4] In the image below, Kango Takamura explains, “Very often we play baseball. This is the kitchen band. And always the umpire said ‘fifty-fifty’—nobody wins or loses.[5]
Upon arriving at the camps, Internees had to quickly cope and figure out how they were going to endure this major change in their lifestyle. One of the ways in which they accomplished this was by creating newspapers. On April 11th, 1942 the Manzanar Free Press released its first issue, “It will be ‘printed’ exclusively in English, manned entirely by Japanese. It covers the camp activities, and we will try to make it as informative and as entertaining as any of the big dailies running on multiple presses”.[1] All ten internment camps had their own newspaper, all of which were run by the internees. The contents of the newspaper articles were mainly information on news and activities in the camps. It was also a way of keeping the people united. In the Gila River Internment Camp, based in Arizona, the Gila News-Courier printed “Let us hope together that the troubles of the world will soon be over and that we shall again live in peace and happiness”, giving the people faith that they would eventually be set free and once again have their little opportunities given back.[2]
Other ways in which camps tried to keep themselves normal and in many ways distracted as to what was happening around them was through social events. Dances were a common event around the camp, which allowed the internees to have some fun.[3]America’s favorite pass time also became a key role in maintaining a sense of normalcy and Americanisms. Baseball was quite popular in the internment camps, in the Manzanar Camp by July 2, 1942, 80 teams had been formed.[4] In the image below, Kango Takamura explains, “Very often we play baseball. This is the kitchen band. And always the umpire said ‘fifty-fifty’—nobody wins or loses.[5]
Sports was not the only way internees kept themselves at ground level, they also used letters to communicate with others outside of the camps. “First, thank you for the many packages”, this is just one of the hundreds of letters exchanged between internees and people on the outside.[6] If internees were not allowed the privilege to communicate with their loved ones outside of the camps, much more of them would have not survived the camps. In many ways these letters helped Japanese Americans keep hope alive. Perhaps the biggest set of exchanges was between the children in the internment camps and Miss Breed, a librarian for the San Diego Public Library. Over 300 letters were exchanged beginning in 1942, “Dear Miss Breed, Thank you again for the many cross-word puzzles and your nice letter”.[7] Art was a major part of internees’ lifestyle, there are hundreds of art collections that depict how Japanese Americans felt and spent their time.
Japanese Americans did not just want to keep normalcy in the camps, they also wanted to show their loyalty to America. The biggest way they tried to accomplish this was by volunteering to enter the war. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was formed in 1943 and was composed by Japanese Americans who were currently living in the internment camps.[8] Maybe it was not just about proving their loyalty, but also a way out of the terrible conditions and lifestyle they were living. More than 1,000 Japanese Americans volunteered to join the regiment and over 10,000 Japanese Americans living in Hawaii also volunteered. The 442nd had over 9,000 casualties throughout their seven campaigns. They also went on to become the most decorated unit for its size and their length of service. [9]
Japanese Americans found themselves in unfortunate circumstances because of the attack on Pearl Harbor and America’s lack of trust. But although their opportunities and lifestyles were taken away from them, they still managed to keep their lives going. They created their own opportunities and way of living.
[1] Manzanar Free Press (1), no.1 (1942), retrieved from Densho Digital Archives, http://archive.densho.org/Resource/popupenlarged.aspx?i=denshopd-i125-00391).
[2] Gila News-Courier (1), no.1(1942(, retrieved from Densho.org, -http://archive.densho.org/Resource/popupenlarged.aspx?i=denshopd-i141-00001
[3]Camp Dance (1942), retrieved from Densho Digital Archives, accessed on April 1, 2013, http://archive.densho.org/Resource/popupenlarged.aspx?i=denshopd-p160-00107
[4] A More Perfect Union, Courtesey of National Archives, accessed on March 20, 2013, http://amhistory.si.edu/perfectunion/collection/image.asp?ID=322
[5] Takamura, Kango, A More Perfect Union, Courtesey of Natioinal Archives, accessed on March 20, 2013, http://amhistory.si.edu/perfectunion/collection/image.asp?ID=950
[6] Densho Digital Archives, accessed on April 8, 2013, http://archive.densho.org/main.aspx
[7]Tsumagari, Fusa, “Letter to Clara Breed”, retrieve on Japanese American National Museum Archives, http://www.janm.org/collections/item/93.75.31AY/
[8] The 442nd Regimental Combat Team Historical Society, Digital Archives, accessed on March 25,2013, http://www.the442.org/442ndfacts.html
[9] The 442nd Regimental Combat Team/ 100th Infantry Battalion, Densho Digital Archives, http://archive.densho.org/main.aspx
Japanese Americans did not just want to keep normalcy in the camps, they also wanted to show their loyalty to America. The biggest way they tried to accomplish this was by volunteering to enter the war. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was formed in 1943 and was composed by Japanese Americans who were currently living in the internment camps.[8] Maybe it was not just about proving their loyalty, but also a way out of the terrible conditions and lifestyle they were living. More than 1,000 Japanese Americans volunteered to join the regiment and over 10,000 Japanese Americans living in Hawaii also volunteered. The 442nd had over 9,000 casualties throughout their seven campaigns. They also went on to become the most decorated unit for its size and their length of service. [9]
Japanese Americans found themselves in unfortunate circumstances because of the attack on Pearl Harbor and America’s lack of trust. But although their opportunities and lifestyles were taken away from them, they still managed to keep their lives going. They created their own opportunities and way of living.
[1] Manzanar Free Press (1), no.1 (1942), retrieved from Densho Digital Archives, http://archive.densho.org/Resource/popupenlarged.aspx?i=denshopd-i125-00391).
[2] Gila News-Courier (1), no.1(1942(, retrieved from Densho.org, -http://archive.densho.org/Resource/popupenlarged.aspx?i=denshopd-i141-00001
[3]Camp Dance (1942), retrieved from Densho Digital Archives, accessed on April 1, 2013, http://archive.densho.org/Resource/popupenlarged.aspx?i=denshopd-p160-00107
[4] A More Perfect Union, Courtesey of National Archives, accessed on March 20, 2013, http://amhistory.si.edu/perfectunion/collection/image.asp?ID=322
[5] Takamura, Kango, A More Perfect Union, Courtesey of Natioinal Archives, accessed on March 20, 2013, http://amhistory.si.edu/perfectunion/collection/image.asp?ID=950
[6] Densho Digital Archives, accessed on April 8, 2013, http://archive.densho.org/main.aspx
[7]Tsumagari, Fusa, “Letter to Clara Breed”, retrieve on Japanese American National Museum Archives, http://www.janm.org/collections/item/93.75.31AY/
[8] The 442nd Regimental Combat Team Historical Society, Digital Archives, accessed on March 25,2013, http://www.the442.org/442ndfacts.html
[9] The 442nd Regimental Combat Team/ 100th Infantry Battalion, Densho Digital Archives, http://archive.densho.org/main.aspx