Japanese Internment during WW II

Summary

The script recounts the dark chapter of Japanese American internment during WWII, beginning with FDR's Executive Order 9066. It details the forced relocation, loss of property, and the legal battle led by Fred Korematsu challenging the order's constitutionality. Despite initial Supreme Court validation, Korematsu's conviction was later vacated, and the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 offered an official apology and reparations, highlighting a critical examination of wartime civil rights.

Takeaways

• 🇺🇸 FDR was in his third term as president when WWII began, and he had already led the nation through the Great Depression, making him very powerful.
• 📜 Executive Order 9066, signed by FDR on February 19, 1942, gave the military authority to designate zones and remove people deemed necessary without due process.
• 🏛️ Congress supported Executive Order 9066 with Public Law 503, which allowed the military to impose restrictions on anyone they deemed a threat, without specifically naming any race or ethnic group.
• 📹 News reels from the time portrayed the evacuation of Japanese Americans with a tone of fear and contempt, often failing to mention that two-thirds were American citizens.
• 🛍️ The evacuation process led to significant property loss and theft, as people were forced to sell their belongings at drastically reduced prices or abandon them.
• 🔒 The internment was not voluntary; it was enforced by law, and those affected had to leave their properties and livelihoods behind with little notice.
• 🛤️ Internees were transported to assembly centers and then to internment camps, often in harsh and isolated conditions, where they had to build necessary facilities themselves.
• 🏰 The internment camps were located in remote areas, with some of the largest being Hart Mountain, Poston, and Tuli Lake, the latter housing those with questioned loyalty.
• 🚫 Fred Korematsu defied the evacuation order and was arrested, leading to a legal battle that reached the Supreme Court, which upheld the constitutionality of the internment order.
• 🏛️ The Supreme Court's decision was controversial, with some justices dissenting, arguing that the internment was racially motivated and lacked military necessity.
• 🏡 After the war, returning Japanese Americans faced challenges, including hostility and the destruction of their farms, and it took decades for some, like Korematsu, to clear their names.
• 💼 In 1988, the Civil Liberties Act was passed, offering an official apology and reparations to survivors of the internment camps, acknowledging the injustice of the internment.

Q & A

What significant action did President Franklin D. Roosevelt take during his third term related to the War?

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

What was the main purpose of Executive Order 9066?

The main purpose of Executive Order 9066 was to give the military the authority to decide where military zones would be and who should be removed from these zones, without any hearings or due process.

How did the public law 503 relate to Executive Order 9066?

Public Law 503 followed Executive Order 9066 and provided the military with the power to impose restrictions on anyone it deemed a threat, which was primarily applied to Japanese Americans.

What was the tone of the news reels when the evacuation of Japanese Americans began on March 22, 1942?

The news reels announced the start of the evacuation with a tone that wavered between fear and contempt, often referring to the evacuees by derogatory terms.

What challenges did Japanese Americans face when they were forced to evacuate?

Japanese Americans faced challenges such as being allowed to take only what they could carry, having to make arrangements to store or sell their belongings on short notice, and experiencing theft and loss of property.

What was the role of the War Relocation Authority (WRA) in the internment of Japanese Americans?

The War Relocation Authority managed the internment camps, referred to as 'relocation centers,' where Japanese Americans were confined during the war.

How long did the internment of Japanese Americans last?

The internment lasted from May 1942 until as late as 1946 for some individuals.

What was Fred Korematsu's legal challenge against his internment?

Fred Korematsu challenged his arrest and the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066, arguing it violated the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection and the 5th Amendment's right to due process.

What was the Supreme Court's decision in the Fred Korematsu case?

The Supreme Court ruled in a 6 to 3 decision that President Roosevelt's order was constitutional, accepting the government's argument of military necessity.

How did the dissenting justices view the internment order?

Dissenting justices, such as Justice Frank Murphy and Justice Robert Jackson, believed the order was racist and lacked military necessity, and they warned against the erosion of the rule of law during wartime.

What was the outcome of the reopened Korematsu case in 1983?

In 1983, the US District Court vacated Fred Korematsu's conviction, acknowledging that the government lawyers had hidden evidence from the Supreme Court.

What action did Congress take in response to the internment of Japanese Americans?

In 1988, Congress passed the Civil Liberties Act, which apologized for the internment and provided reparations to survivors of the camps, amounting to $220,000 each.