Send American-japanese to prison?
istealfreefood
Active member
i think it was right. it helped that Japanese some. there they learned English which helped them disperse from the big Japanese areas and go to other places. also, it helped to protect them from the wrath of other Americans when the public found out about the atrocities that the japanese commited to our service men and POWs. i wish taht there had been another way, but i think that it was still good to put them in the camps. the had adequate food and shelter. they were taken care of very well, unlike what the Japs (no offense intended) did to us.
It was a watertight way of solving a problem. Lock upeverybody that lookes like our enemy.... unfiortunatly, that didn't make 'm your enemies! And after the war, they weren't really welcome to re-socialise either. And what about the homes they used to live in? They lost almost everything there was to lose.... just because they looked like the enemy. I think it was a hysterical reaction and therefor wrong.
chronoserpent
Active member
On one hand, it was right. It has been proven now that we can see both sides that there were Japanese plans to use people of Japanese descent as spies and saboteurs. Undoubtedly, by sending them all to concentration camps, acts of sabotage were prevented and valuable information was protected.
But was it right to send ALL people of Japanese descent to concentration camps? No.
I believe this problem should have been dealt with on a case by case basis, not a blanket solution like this. Yes, they caught some bad guys, but what about the thousands and thousands of innocent people who lost everything they had worked for? Was it really worth it?
In my mind, no.
But was it right to send ALL people of Japanese descent to concentration camps? No.
I believe this problem should have been dealt with on a case by case basis, not a blanket solution like this. Yes, they caught some bad guys, but what about the thousands and thousands of innocent people who lost everything they had worked for? Was it really worth it?
In my mind, no.
Missileer
Active member
If the internment had not taken place, we would never have had a unit like the 442nd Regimental Combat Group and the 100th Infantry Btn fighting for us. On the other hand, the same men would have volunteered if they had been given the chance because it was a way to prove their loyalty to America, which they did very well.
"As a military unit, their record in North Africa and Europe was extraordinary. After almost two years of fighting, the 100th/442nd emerged from the war the most highly decorated unit in U.S. military history.
They fought in seven major campaigns in Europe, made two beachhead assaults and captured a submarine. In France, they liberated Bruyeres, and rescued the ``Lost Battalion'' -- 275 Texas infantrymen who had been trapped inside German territory for almost a week.
In late spring of 1945, the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion -- part of the 442nd -- was among the first Allied units to liberate prisoners from Dachau. Days later, heading farther south through Germany, the 522nd helped save more than 5,000 Jewish prisoners from the Dachau sub-camps who had been on a forced march toward the Bavarian Alps.
The unit's valor earned more than 18,000 individual citations and eight Presidential Unit Citations. Known also as the ``Purple Heart Battalion,'' with more than 700 men killed and 9,500 Purple Hearts, they suffered the highest casualty rate in U.S. Army history.
Today, the veterans of the 442nd and the 100th are in their 70s and 80s, and among them is a growing sense of urgency to tell their stories before it is too late. "
http://www.sfmuseum.org/war/issei.html
"As a military unit, their record in North Africa and Europe was extraordinary. After almost two years of fighting, the 100th/442nd emerged from the war the most highly decorated unit in U.S. military history.
They fought in seven major campaigns in Europe, made two beachhead assaults and captured a submarine. In France, they liberated Bruyeres, and rescued the ``Lost Battalion'' -- 275 Texas infantrymen who had been trapped inside German territory for almost a week.
In late spring of 1945, the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion -- part of the 442nd -- was among the first Allied units to liberate prisoners from Dachau. Days later, heading farther south through Germany, the 522nd helped save more than 5,000 Jewish prisoners from the Dachau sub-camps who had been on a forced march toward the Bavarian Alps.
The unit's valor earned more than 18,000 individual citations and eight Presidential Unit Citations. Known also as the ``Purple Heart Battalion,'' with more than 700 men killed and 9,500 Purple Hearts, they suffered the highest casualty rate in U.S. Army history.
Today, the veterans of the 442nd and the 100th are in their 70s and 80s, and among them is a growing sense of urgency to tell their stories before it is too late. "
http://www.sfmuseum.org/war/issei.html
Italian Guy
Milforum Hitman
No, it was wrong, they were innocent and they were American citizens.
Italian Guy
Milforum Hitman
Rabs the principle can't be applied on such general terms though. You might meet a killer on the street so you kill everyone out there. Hey, better safe than sorry.
bulldogg
Milforum's Bouncer
I know now with the benefit of hindsight it was morally wrong but I am being very honest when I try to put myself in the shoes of an American right after Pearl Harbour was bombed and the level of racism present as an acceptable aspect of being an American of the time and I would say YES to it.
It is a testament to the guiding principles of democracy in the US that they were only interred and not dealt with like the Jews of Germany or deported.
Like my grandfather explained a lot of "bad" things that happened during his lifetime... "We just didn't know better back then."
Now I will be very honest. I have had conversations with some people on this forum where I have said, and I truly believe, that if any country today is faced with open hostilities against the Chinese that country MUST for its own safety interr ALL Chinese within its borders. Reason being is apparent to many members of this forum. You have seen first hand that no matter where the Chinese go their primary loyalty remains to China. And second even if they do not wish to work on behalf of the Chinese government they can be easily coerced as their family members back in China are used as leverage.
It is a testament to the guiding principles of democracy in the US that they were only interred and not dealt with like the Jews of Germany or deported.
Like my grandfather explained a lot of "bad" things that happened during his lifetime... "We just didn't know better back then."
Now I will be very honest. I have had conversations with some people on this forum where I have said, and I truly believe, that if any country today is faced with open hostilities against the Chinese that country MUST for its own safety interr ALL Chinese within its borders. Reason being is apparent to many members of this forum. You have seen first hand that no matter where the Chinese go their primary loyalty remains to China. And second even if they do not wish to work on behalf of the Chinese government they can be easily coerced as their family members back in China are used as leverage.
Italian Guy
Milforum Hitman
Yes you said that many times, I'm just not sure the principle applies to any country or nationality in the world. The US should have interned all Italian-Americans as they could all be mafiamen or gangsters.
bulldogg
Milforum's Bouncer
Right, the judgement must be made on a case by case basis. The dynamics between Japanese-Americans in the 1940's is very different from the Overseas-Chinese of today. I would also make this statement in regards to muslims that adhere to certain strains of the religion. I know it sounds horrible and inhumane and unenlightened but for the good of the whole sacrifices are made. No one said life would be all fun and games, and if they did, sorry, they lied.
boris116
Active member
I would say , at that time, it was more right than wrong.
Also, I wouldn't agree with the statement:"all Japanese-Americans have been interned"
If one takes some pain to research, one will find some interesting things on this matter.
For example:
1. Only the Japanese in the Coast areas have been subject to internment. If they lived in, let's say, Iowa, they shouldn't be interned.
2. They could be released if some white family will vouch for them
3. The Territory of Hawaii had the LOWEST rate of internment, while it has the HIGHEST rate of the Japanese population! The conditions of the internment there have been the softest as well. Why? The Navy(and it's Intelligence branch) have taken the pains to investigate the loyalty of the Japanese and made a conclusion that en masse they are not spies or saboteurs. The also have made an assesment of what will happen to the islands' economy if the most productive and hard working people will be locked away...
In the same time, it has been found that some older Japanese, who couldn't master English and were listening only to the "Tokyo Rose" have been seen climbing to the mountain tops to be the first who will greet the victorious Imperial Navy coming to conquer Hawaii. The have been doing this even in summer of 1945...
The most terrible in all this issue is not, IMO, what has happened to the Japanese-Americans, but what has happened to their brtehren in South America per FBI request.
One can argue whether the internment of the California's Japanese has been strategically sound or not.
But what strategy could justify the imprisonment of the Argentinian or Brazilian citizens in their countries - so far from the front and per foreign country's request!?
Their possessions have been looted by their jailers and other good citizens outright, their businesses confiscated, their prison conditions much worse.
Then, they have been extradicted to the US...
I think, they have didn't get much of restitution either...
Also, I wouldn't agree with the statement:"all Japanese-Americans have been interned"
If one takes some pain to research, one will find some interesting things on this matter.
For example:
1. Only the Japanese in the Coast areas have been subject to internment. If they lived in, let's say, Iowa, they shouldn't be interned.
2. They could be released if some white family will vouch for them
3. The Territory of Hawaii had the LOWEST rate of internment, while it has the HIGHEST rate of the Japanese population! The conditions of the internment there have been the softest as well. Why? The Navy(and it's Intelligence branch) have taken the pains to investigate the loyalty of the Japanese and made a conclusion that en masse they are not spies or saboteurs. The also have made an assesment of what will happen to the islands' economy if the most productive and hard working people will be locked away...
In the same time, it has been found that some older Japanese, who couldn't master English and were listening only to the "Tokyo Rose" have been seen climbing to the mountain tops to be the first who will greet the victorious Imperial Navy coming to conquer Hawaii. The have been doing this even in summer of 1945...
The most terrible in all this issue is not, IMO, what has happened to the Japanese-Americans, but what has happened to their brtehren in South America per FBI request.
One can argue whether the internment of the California's Japanese has been strategically sound or not.
But what strategy could justify the imprisonment of the Argentinian or Brazilian citizens in their countries - so far from the front and per foreign country's request!?
Their possessions have been looted by their jailers and other good citizens outright, their businesses confiscated, their prison conditions much worse.
Then, they have been extradicted to the US...
I think, they have didn't get much of restitution either...
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LeEnfield
Active member
No of course the American Japanese should not have been interned, but just how did you sort the good from the bad. Now many Japanese well still fiercely loyal to Japan and would have assisted Japan if given the chance. In Europe there had been such thing a fifth column were people that were sympathetic to Hitler and his aims would do what ever it took to assist the Germans including acts of sabotage and intelligence gathering. Now in Britain many German and other Hostiles were rounded up and placed into camps or ire most of suggesting that they should have been allowed to roam freely around the country. Lets also face it both Germany and Japan rounded other groups of people and put then into camps as well. I think the reason that America took more stick over all this is the way other Americans moved in to profit from their absence, by buying property and businesses at knock down prices.
Italian Guy
Milforum Hitman
LeEnfield said:
Were they deprived of their properties? :roll:
Italian Guy
Milforum Hitman
This is interesting, I'm learning a lot of new things.