(PORTFOLIO EXAMPLE)
Civil Liberties Denied – The Incarceration of
Japanese Americans in World War II
Connie McDowell
SSC101 Winter 2005
March 8, 2005
EXAMPLE
SSC101 Final Portfolio Project – Example
Introduction
In 1942 approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to internment camps, where many remained for up to three years. About two-thirds of those incarcerated were United States citizens, the American-born children of first-generation Japanese immigrants, or Issei. The United States government sought to justify the internment of Japanese Americans on the grounds that they posed a risk to national security and might engage in acts of espionage or sabotage. However this was never proven to be true. Legal challenges to internment were brought before the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the government. More than twenty years later, the government admitted that internment had been a violation of the civil rights of Japanese Americans. In 1988 Congress passed legislation authorizing redress payments of $20,000 each to the approximately 60,000 survivors of internment, along with a letter of apology.
My research project examines the causes of the internment of Japanese Americans. What evidence, if any, did the government use to justify this violation of constitution rights? Why was the majority of the population of the United States willing to go along with this action? My research will analyze the factors that enabled internment to occur, such as racism, war hysteria, politics, and economics. My analysis will be based on the examination of primary and secondary source evidence. I am interested in this topic because of parallels to our current situation, where reactions to the September 11 attacks have resulted in a willingness on the part of the government and many citizens to accept a diminishment in civil liberties in exchange for a sense of increased security.
Topic Analysis
Library of Congress Classifications
D -- HISTORY (GENERAL) AND HISTORY OF EUROPE
D731-838 World War II (1939-1945)
E -- HISTORY: AMERICA
E184-185.98 Elements in the population
Keywords
Japanese American(s)
Internment
Incarceration
Executive Order 9066
Civil liberties
Concentration camps
World War II
Reparations
No-No boys
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Concentration camps--United States
Japanese Americans--Civil rights
Japanese Americans--Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945
United States--History--1933-1945
World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps--United States
World War, 1939-1945--Draft resisters--United States
World War, 1939-1945--Japanese Americans
World War, 1939-1945—Reparations
Periodical or Reference Databases
ProQuest Direct
Expanded Academic Index ASAP
Ethnic NewsWatch
History Resource Center: U.S.
Reference Sources
Daniels, Roger. “Japanese American Incarceration.” Dictionary of American
History, ed. Stanley I. Kutler. New York : Thomson Learning, 2003.
This article presents a balanced overview of the incarceration of Japanese Americans, from Executive Order 9066 through internment and eventually the movement for redress. Daniels discusses how events and anti-Japanese sentiment prior to Executive Order 9066 made such a violation of civil liberties possible. The article also talks about those who resisted incarceration. Several court cases challenging internment are discussed. In addition to the article, there are photographs and a bibliography for further reading. This is a useful resource, because it provides a concise overview and lists pertinent events, people, court cases, and laws.
Kitayama, Glen. “Japanese American Internment.” Asian American Encyclopedia,
ed. Franklin Ng. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 1995.
The Asian American Encyclopedia is a six-volume reference work focusing on the Asian immigrant experience in the United States. It provides information on the history and culture of Asian immigrant groups, including Japanese Americans. This article provided a thorough overview of the internment, including charts, photographs and a list of further readings. Glen Kitayama, the author of the article, is a teacher and historian, who has been active in the redress and reparations movement for survivors of the internment.
Books
Sadamu, Robert. Born in Seattle: The Campaign for Japanese American Redress.
Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2001.
Born in Seattle tells the story of a group of Japanese American activists who initiated the national movement for redress for survivors of the internment. Through interviews, Sadamu chronicles the experience of the survivors and their desire for justice. The Seattle activists were the first group to petition the federal government for an apology and monetary compensation. Through the efforts of the Seattle group, legislation was finally passed in 1988 awarding monetary compensation to survivors. Robert Sadamu Shimabukuro is a writer living in Seattle, Washington.
Robinson, Greg. By Order of the President : FDR and the Internment of Japanese
Americans. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001.
By Order of the President sheds light on the role of President Franklin Roosevelt in the decision to issue Executive Order 9066, resulting in the removal of Japanese aliens and American citizens of Japanese descent from their homes, and their detention throughout war years. Through analyzing presidential papers, letters and government documents, Robinson reveals how Roosevelt and his advisors arrived at their decision. Robinson is a professor of history at the University of Quebec.
Muller, Eric L. Free to Die for their Country: The Story of the Japanese American
Draft Resisters in World War II. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2001.
In 1943, the federal government reinstated the draft for Americans of Japanese descent, who were incarcerated in internment camps during World War II. Although some detainees decided to serve in the armed forces, many chose not to. Free to Die for Their Country, Muller recounts the stories of the men who resisted the draft, many of whom were tried and convicted for their resistance. In writing this account, Muller interviewed surviving resisters and examined government records, court cases and news accounts. The book won at least one award, as one of the Washington Post’s Top Nonfiction Titles of 2001. This books provides a in-depth account of one of the more controversial, but less well known, aspects of the internment experience. Eric Muller is a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law.
Best Primary Source
Egami, Hatsuye. The Evacuation Diary of Hatsuye Egami. Pasadena: Intentional
Productions, 1995.
The Evacuation Diary of Hatsuye Egami is a the account of an Issei (first-generation Japanese immigrant) woman and mother, who was interned with her family at the Tulare Assembly Center for three months during World War II. Egami’s diary recounts daily life at Tulare, but also her inner thoughts and her attempts to find beauty and hope in the face of repression and deprivation. The diary was published almost fifty years after it was written, when it came into the possession of Claire Gorfinkel, the editor. This diary provides valuable insight into the first-hand experiences of an Issei woman during the internment years.
Tateishi, John. And justice for All : An Oral History of the Japanese American
DetentionCamps. Seattle : University of Washington Press, 1999.
In this book John Tateishi records the oral histories of thirty Japanese Americans, who were interned during World War II. Originally published in 1984, this edition sheds light on the human experience and personal feelings of the internees. Included in the book is an afterword, that brings the lives of the interviewees up to date. Tateishi was a leader in the national campaign for redress, which resulted in an official apology from the President and Congress in 1988 and monetary compensation for the victims. This collection was a valuable resource in understanding the first-hand experiences of internees.
Best Periodical Articles
Luther, Catherine A. “Reflections of Cultural Identities in Conflict: Japanese
American Internment Camp Newspapers During World War II.” Journalism
History 29, no. 2 (2003): 69-81. ProQuest.
During the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, several newspapers were published within the camps, by the internees. These newspapers provide a valuable insight into the communities within the camps and how these communities evolved over time. In this article, Catherine Luther examines ten of the camp newspapers: Denson Communique, Gila News Courier, Granada Pioneer, Heart Mountain Sentinel, Manzanar Free Press, Minidoka Irrigator, Poston Chronicle, Rohwer Outpost, Topaz Times, Tulean Dispatch. Her analysis focuses on the cultural identity struggle of the internees during their detention. According to Luther, initially the internees tried to suppress their Japanese identity in favor of American, but eventually evolved to affirm both cultures. The article was carefully researched, with footnotes to original sources. Luther is an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Electronic Media at the University of Tennessee.
Best Internet Sources
Abe, Frank and ITVS. “Conscience and the Constitution.” Public Broadcasting
Service. (accessed Mar. 7,
2005).
This web site is a companion to the video of the same name. The web site tells the story of a group of internees who refused to be drafted to fight in World War II, on the grounds that their civil liberties had been violated by internment. The men were eventually tried and several were convicted and served prison terms. The issue of resistance to the draft split the Japanese American community both inside and outside of the camps, a rift that was to endure till the present day. The web site provides a wealth of information on this little-known aspect of the internment experience, including photographs, articles, interviews and original source materials. Abe is a third-generation Japanese American, whose father had been interned at Heart Mountain. He has worked as a journalist and filmmaker.
Non-print or Alternative Source
Rabbit in the Moon. Produced, directed and written by Emiko Omori. 85 mins.
Wabi-Sabi Productions, 1999. Videocassette
This documentary examines the aftermath of the internment experience among survivors. It focuses on the rift caused by the loyalty questionnaire and the divisions among those who signed it and those who refused to. The film combines interviews by survivors of the internment with commentary by the director.
Self Evaluation
[On a separate page, write a description (250 words minimum) of your learning during the research process. I am not looking for a course evaluation or for a detailed description of your research topic; rather, I am looking for an evaluation of your own process of finding information and what you have learned from this class. Include, but do not limit your responses to the following:
Describe the kind of resources that seemed to be better than others for this topic. How is the Internet suited/not suited to your topic? Books? Periodicals?
Discuss new learnings about the nature of this topic and the information that was available
Discuss what you have learned about the research process and what you have learned from this class.
Comment on how you will apply what was learned to current and future classes and in personal or professional life.]
1