Manzanar

Site Issues 2005 Archive Room
#1

Is anyone familer with Manzanar and the American camps that they put the Japanese in during the war?

Well, right after the Japanese attack on Pearl Habor, the American government rounded up hundreds of Japanese and sent them to these camps that were spread out accross the country. The most famous one would probably be Manzanar. They did this because they considered the Japanese in America a national threat. But the interesting thing is that the an intelligence service gathered information about the Japanese-Americans and concluded that most of them where supportive of America, and they where no risk at all. The government dismissed that and still gathered the Japanese, even if they had an American citizenship.

The living conditions where horrible, but they kindoff increased during the later years. The most terrible thing about it though, was that all that they worked for had been taken away. They practically lost anything that they earned. Many came from Japan and moved to America for a better life. They worked hard in fields, and fishing and finally they gained a house etc. When they went to the camps they lost everything, every single thing. Their house, their boat, all their possesions, everything. There was this one guy who fought for America in WW1 and even he was put in the camps. Imagine fighting for a country with your life and then getting betrayed. Well after they where released at the end of the war, they had to start from scratch.

Even when America declared war on Germany, no Germans living in Japan where even considered a threat. This is most likely becase of the publics opinion on Oriental people. Even many years after the war, the Japanese where looked down opon, it was hard to get a job, and it was hard to get along with anybody else.

Well when America was getting the Japanese from the mainland, they never interned any Japanese living in Hawaii. This is because the Americans where scared of the Japanese living in Hawaii because they had a very large population. They feared that they would strike back. They even gathered Japanese orphans and put them in the camps too. This is one example of how an opressor can strike out because of fear. How will orphans pose a threat??

well, if you really into the subject then you can read the book “Farewell to Manzanar”. It is a book about her experience and her perants experience during the internment, and after.

#2

A very dark and sad time in American history. Many say that the German POW’s were treated better than the interned Japanese. Hell German POW’s were treated better than the free black people. Just goes to show anti-senitism knows no bounds.

Similar scare during the cold war when people that were supposed communist basically had there lives destroyed. There is a movie that touches on that call “Citizen Cohn” I believe. Just think this in retarded in a land where we are supposedly free to believe whatever we want.

To tell ya the truth im suprised Bush hasnt rounded up all the arabs and put them in internment camps. Its all pretty silly to me.

#3

Yea I’ve heard of those camps. Bloody shame for us Americans to have done it too :frowning:

#4

the canadian government also did the same thing, they force the japanese to move to the inland, meanwhile they government took all their properties away, so when they are release back to where they live, they basically have to start all over again
i have a debate to start on, is that morally right for the government to pay back what they have done to the japanese? but if they really do, many races would able to ask for payment (since canada and american are not exactly a friendly nation in the early twenty century), and government can go bankcrupt because of that. my opinion is instead of using the money for payment, use it to edcuate our next generation so that this will never happen again

#5

In the beggining they should of just left their property alone, but better leave them alone! Now it is too late, the only thing to do is to say sorry, and admit you made a mistake.

#6

Sounds about right for the “land of the free” look at all the small countries american politicians walked into because of their paranoia about communism.Lots of people persecuted and killed, It’s still not much better today unfortunately.

#7

Both events were very side times in America. And I think your right I about current issues. The patriot act is an awful thing and taking away the rights of many. Hopefully things will get better once Dubya is out of office. He is doing a bit better this term but still a wacko. :smiley:

But lets try to not get to off topic.

#8

Well fortunatly none us us made any of those desicions cuz we weren’t around back then. Just like the Japanese generation of today had nothing to do with the second world war. I am glad that we can all get along nowadays.

#9

If only that were true but it’s still a very long way from happening but then it would be with the people we have running our countries .

#10

That is a very good thought. It would seem to be a more productive use of money than to give it to the families of those who were encamped.

True, paranoia over communism was high, but if you are refering to the McCarthy hearings and such of the 1950’s when you said, “Lots of people persecuted and killed,” consider also that the paranoia was not wholly unfounded. Do not forget that the US’s ally, the Soviet Union - a communist state, was not expected to simply annex half of Europe at the end of WWII and say that all those nations were now under their communist control. It was a shocking and very dissapointing development that made the US rightfully suspicious of them, and of communists altogether. Unfortunately, the actions of the Soviet Union only fueled the suspicions that American already had during the war.

As for people being killed over communism in the US, I cannot think of any instances where “lots of people” were killed in the US because they were suspected of being communist.

Although the actions of the US during WWII to encamp Japanese could in no way be considered a just thing to do, it is also fair to say that the “paranoia” of the US about communists was not truly unwarented either, since the actions of the Soviet Union during the following 30 years (supporting the communist takeover of Asian nations, attempting to do the same in Afghanistan, supporting communism in Central America, trying to put Soviet nuclear missles in Cuba) proved that the communists were worthy of suspicion afterall.

#11

If only they had deployed the Giga Barge!

#12

True, paranoia over communism was high, but if you are refering to the McCarthy hearings and such of the 1950’s when you said, “Lots of people persecuted and killed,” consider also that the paranoia was not wholly unfounded. Do not forget that the US’s ally, the Soviet Union - a communist state, was not expected to simply annex half of Europe at the end of WWII and say that all those nations were now under their communist control. It was a shocking and very dissapointing development that made the US rightfully suspicious of them, and of communists altogether. Unfortunately, the actions of the Soviet Union only fueled the suspicions that American already had during the war.

Ever heard of the Yalta agreement?

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/01/documents/yalta.html

I suggest you go and read it. The US/UK and USSR basically divided Europe before the war had even ended. So it came as no shock whatsoever.

#13

Welcome to IRONMAN!

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#14

we descovered a very funny guy called bluffcove :wink:

continue posting man!

#15

Does he also go by the name of Tintwat? I have read back through some of his enlightening posts about all things military, I must say, his level of in-depth knowledge just amazes me, and I mean amazes!

#16

You mean the agreement reached on February 4-11, 1945? Shortly before the end iof the war? Yea, it was a surprise to the Allies that Russia made such a demand and later did not relent control of those countries later.

Yup, it sure was.

Now, I suppose you are going to start some thing about the US wimping out and not trying to “make” Russia not insist on their control over eastern Europe, but that would be a biggy booboo, since Russia had a hubungus army and the US had not desire to get into a war with them.

#17

Inkin

#18

IRONMAN
I have created you an account at Arrse so that you may discuss your views on section fire!

the login and password are in your PM
I hope we can resolve this and you get to humiliate me by telling all of them how I foolishly imagine section fire to be effective at 600 metres

#19

Blinkin

#20

Nod