12.+Japanese+Americans+in+WWII

= Japanese Americans in WWII = By: Katherine Inman and Jessica Miler

Reasons why they left: Japanese girls were forced to come to America to marry and start a family with a man they didn't know. Japanese families would persuade their girls to flee to America. Many thought that Japanese Immigrants would have a good life in America.

What they experienced when they got there: Before World War II, Japanese women would travel to America and have to get married and start their new lives immediately. When men came, they migrated west and started farms. The farms were typically a great success. Beginning with the bombing of Pearl Harbor and until the end of WWII Japanese immigrants were forced into interment camps. Even those who had already been cleared before the bombing were forced into the interment camps and had their citizenship revoked. Many thought they were spies for the Japanese and that was the cause of this harsh treatment to innocent people.

American reaction to their presence: The American government considered the Japanese people a threat and would not let them live as they had before. All immigrants coming into America during and after World War II were sent directly into the internment camps. The people that had already begun to live as American citizens, were then taken away and put into internment camps.

Japanese immigrants in the internment camps. The immigrants arriving at the camps.

A man and woman sitting in the camps.

Japanese immigrants trying to make their living. Immigrants boarding the busses to go to the internment camps.

Man: (writing a letter while speaking aloud) Dear Yoshiko, I have been trapped in an interment camp while trying to immigrate to this great country, I hope to get out soon. Please do not worry. I will send for you when I have settled. Until my next writing, Yoko

**woman reading letter while he is reading/writing it**

Woman picking up toys while saying: It has been very hard since my dear Yoko has left. I have had to care for my children all by myself while trying to do small work out of the house. Since he has left money has been scarce and I had to send my 3 adolescent boys to work in factories. This “opportunity” has been a disaster.

(woman frozen)

Man: Life in the internment camp has been strenuous. I have had very little food and I know no one here. I miss my family, my wife and my children, and wish nothing more then to go back to our, what some might call, mediocre way of life. I came here to live as a king and to find great fortune and happiness, but instead I have hardship and cruelties. Although my life wasn’t great back in Japan, I didn’t have a lot of food and work was scant, but we were happy and had a fine standard of living. This “opportunity” has been a disaster.

Costumes:

Jessica: Gray flower dress Katherine: Kakis White shirt and black apron

Props:

Toys, 2 pieces of paper, pen

Works Cited Brimner, Larry Dane. //Voices From the Camps//. New York City: Franklin Watts, 1994. Print. **can be used as secondary or primary**

Maybe use a camp scenery for our exhibit Burgan, Michael. //The Japanese American Interment//. Minneapolis: Compass Point Books, 2007. Print. **Secondary Source**

Most Japanese immigrants came to America and settled West. Most were very successful with farming. [all about farming life] Carnes, Jim. //Us and Them//. N.p.: Southern Poverty Law Center, 1995. Print. **Secondary Source**

Home Was a Horse Stall

Thinking about using these descriptions for out museum exhibit Uchida, Yoshiko. “Tears of Autumn.” //From There to Here//. 2006. Print. **Secondary Source**

Yoshiko Uchida talking about Hana Omiya’s journey to America

Photo Citations:

//JAPANESE INTERNMENT, 1942. - A Japanese American Family Arriving At The Manzanar Relocation Center, Near Owens Valley, California. Photograph, April 1942.//. Fine Art. //Encyclopædia Britannica Image Quest.// Web. 19 Sep 2011.

//JAPANESE INTERNMENT, 1942. - Japanese Americans Boarding A Bus At Lone Pine, California, On Their Way To An Internment Camp At Manzanar, California, April 1942.//. Fine Art. //Encyclopædia Britannica Image Quest.// Web. 19 Sep 2011.

//JAPANESE INTERNMENT, 1943. - Japanese Internment Camp At Tule Lake, In Newell, California. Photograph By Pete O'Crotty, May 1943.//. Fine Art. //Encyclopædia Britannica Image Quest.// Web. 19 Sep 2011.

//JAPANESE INTERNMENT, 1943. - Sewing Factory At The Manzanar Relocation Center At Owens Valley, California. Photographed By Ansel Adams, 1943.//. Fine Art. //Encyclopædia Britannica Image Quest.// Web. 19 Sep 2011.

//JAPANESE INTERNMENT, 1943. - Two Women Seated In A Dining Hall At A Japanese Internment Camp At Tule Lake, In Newell, California. Photograph By Pete O'Crotty, May 1943.//. Fine Art. //Encyclopædia Britannica Image Quest.// Web. 19 Sep 2011