Effects of World War II on American Japanese in America

Effects of World War II on American Japanese in America

In the initial stages of World War 2, America chose not to engage in the war because it was still suffering from the Great Depression. However, in December of 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the American naval fleet at Pearl Harbor, an event that forcefully pushed America into fighting World War 2 (Clack et al., 2009). This event also brought about some devastating social and economic impacts on Americans, particularly American Japanese.

Looking at the economic impacts, two months after the Pearl Harbor attack, an executive order was signed by President Franklin Roosevelt, which basically ordered the removal of Japanese from their homes, including Japanese who were American citizens by birth. They were taken to camps where they were imprisoned. Subsequently, these individuals, amounting to approximately 120,000, were held in camps under guard by the American soldiers (Nagata et al., 2015). Due to this forceful relocation, many American Japanese lost their homes, property, cars, and jobs, which left them very impoverished and significantly, if not entirely, dependent on America to provide for their basic needs like food and water. According to a report published by The Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, American Japanese suffered a loss of approximately 6.1 billion dollars in today’s value (Pippert, 2022).

Socially, the American Japanese did not have it any easier either, as the Japanese attack on America led to fear and panic that the next attack would be on America itself, which would be aided by the Japanese living in America (Clack et al., 2009). The media propagated panic and false rumours, resulting in racism and xenophobia. These attacks were so extreme that other Asians, like the Chinese, had to wear labels saying they were not Japanese to avoid being attacked. Segregation from society brought about all the negative consequences, like the loss of opportunities, poor education, and low social status.

References

Clack, G., Neely, M. S., & Hamby, A. (2009). Outline of US History. Nova Science Publishers, Incorporated.

Nagata, D. K., Kim, J. H., & Nguyen, T. U. (2015). Processing cultural trauma: Intergenerational effects of the Japanese American incarceration. Journal of Social Issues, 71(2), 356-370.

Pippert, W., 2022. The economic losses of Japanese-Americans interned during World War. [online] UPI. Retrieved from https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/06/15/The-economic-losses-of-Japanese-Americans-interned-during-World-War/5877424497600/

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Unit 6.1 DB: World War II and the Home FrontUnit 6.1 DB: World War II and the Home Front
While the war continued overseas and many Americans left home to fight for freedom abroad, the home front faced many challenges.

Effects of World War II on American Japanese in America

World War II brought with it many social and economic changes in the United States, some positive and some negative. Critically evaluate the social and economic impact the war had on one of the following groups:
African Americans
Japanese Americans
Women