George Takei on the Japanese internment camps during WWII - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG

Summary

The speaker reflects on their childhood in Los Angeles before the Pearl Harbor attack and the subsequent internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. At four years old, they vividly remember the fear and confusion of armed soldiers taking their family to a temporary holding camp at Santa Anita Racetrack, followed by a forced relocation to internment camps in Arkansas and Northern California. They discuss the painful loyalty questionnaire imposed by the government, and the difficult choices families faced, emphasizing their father's refusal to submit to the government's demands, resulting in their relocation to a harsher camp. The speaker highlights the emotional and cultural impacts of this period on Japanese Americans.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker grew up in Los Angeles until Pearl Harbor, at which point Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated to internment camps.
• 😀 At the age of four, the speaker experienced armed soldiers coming to their home and forcing the family to leave.
• 😀 The family was initially taken to a horse stable at the Santa Anita racetrack before being moved to a more permanent internment camp in Arkansas.
• 😀 The internment camp in Arkansas, called Rowher, was later followed by a transfer to another harsh camp in Northern California called Tule Lake.
• 😀 Japanese Americans were classified as 'enemy non-aliens' during World War II and were excluded from military service due to their appearance, despite many wanting to serve.
• 😀 A loyalty questionnaire was issued to those in internment camps, asking if they would serve in the U.S. Army and swear loyalty to the United States.
• 😀 Question 27 of the loyalty questionnaire asked if individuals would bear arms for the U.S., which was controversial for people like elderly immigrants or young children.
• 😀 Question 28 demanded an oath of loyalty to the U.S., asking individuals to forswear their loyalty to the Emperor of Japan, a question that assumed an inherent loyalty due to race.
• 😀 The loyalty questions created turmoil in the camps, with many refusing to answer affirmatively, viewing it as an unjust request after being incarcerated.
• 😀 The speaker's father, born in Japan and ineligible for U.S. citizenship, refused to answer the loyalty questions, affirming his dignity despite the consequences of being labeled disloyal.

Q & A

Where did the speaker grow up before the events of Pearl Harbor?

The speaker grew up in Los Angeles before the events of Pearl Harbor.

What happened to Japanese Americans on the west coast after Pearl Harbor?

After Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans on the west coast were rounded up and sent to internment camps.

How old was the speaker when Pearl Harbor occurred, and how did it affect them?

The speaker was four years old at the time of Pearl Harbor. They were too young to fully understand the situation but remember the day when armed soldiers came to their home.

What was the first place the speaker's family was sent after being forced out of their home?

The speaker's family was taken to a horse stable at the Santa Anita racetrack, where they were housed for a few months.

To which internment camp was the speaker's family sent after the Santa Anita racetrack?

After the Santa Anita racetrack, the speaker's family was sent to an internment camp called Rohwer in Arkansas.

What was the second internment camp where the speaker's family was placed, and how did it differ from the first?

The second camp was called Tule Lake in Northern California. It was described as being even harsher, with three levels of barbed wire fences and tanks patrolling the perimeter.

What was the reason the speaker's family was transferred from the Rohwer camp to the Tule Lake camp?

The transfer occurred because the government considered the family 'disloyal' due to their answers to a loyalty questionnaire. This classification was linked to their refusal to swear loyalty to the United States or forswear loyalty to the Emperor of Japan.

Why were Japanese Americans not allowed to become naturalized citizens in the U.S. during that period?

At that time, immigrants from Asia, including Japanese and Chinese immigrants, were excluded from the possibility of becoming naturalized U.S. citizens.

What was the purpose of the loyalty questionnaire given to Japanese Americans in the internment camps?

The loyalty questionnaire was intended to assess Japanese Americans' loyalty to the United States and to determine whether they could be trusted to serve in the U.S. military. It included questions about bearing arms for the U.S. and renouncing loyalty to the Emperor of Japan.

How did the speaker’s parents respond to the loyalty questionnaire, and what was the consequence of their answers?

The speaker’s father answered 'no' to both key questions on the questionnaire, as did the mother, refusing to swear loyalty to the U.S. or forsake loyalty to the Emperor. As a result, the family was considered 'disloyal' and transferred to a harsher camp in Northern California.