Japanese Internment

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Japanese Internment In 1942, 120,000 Japanese-Americans were "relocated" to areas far from their homes, out of the fear the United States Government held inside their hearts. Japan had just bombed Pearl Harbor. Many of the U.S. seaport areas on the West coast were inhabited by Japanese-Americans. General DeWitt provided a "security plan" for both United States citizens (Caucasian) and the Japanese-Americans...or so it was stated. However, when seeking the fine details of this incident, will we ever know the absolute truth? The Official Government documents drastically contrast the first-hand accounts of what it was like in those "Pioneer Communities." Each source changes the story behind the Japanese-American Internment slightly. Can truth truly exist once it becomes a part of the past? By looking at both governmental and personal accounts of the Internment, only small similarities carry throughout. In the "Instructions to All Persons of Japanese Ancestry," John L. DeWitt, lieutenant general of the Western Defense Command, posted on April 30th, 1942, instructed all Japanese descendants, whether born inside or outside of the United States that they were not to change residences after 12:00 PM on this very day, and that all would be evacuated from their homes no later than May 7th, 1942 - only one week later. There were no reasons behind this "evacuation," and there were no explanations as to what was going to happen after such an evacuation. Thorough plans for preparation were provided, such as the offering of assistance from the Civil Control Station to help sell or dispose of all personal or business property, and to provide temporary residence for all Japanese in family groups. The instru... ... middle of paper ... ...in 1942. Many aspects were not addressed by the government regarding the camps, however, leaving many unanswered questions. Can one aspect necessarily be believed as the truth? One thing is for sure; The internment of the Japanese-American citizens and 'aliens' was morally, judgmentally, ethically, and governmentally wrong. That aspect, at least, has been agreed upon. Can truth, once it has become an aspect of the past, truly exist? Again, I feel, we have failed to prove that it truly can, at least in entirety. On the concept of the Japanese-American internment, most aspects have been settled, but yet, as in all historical situations, many have not. The world may never know exactly to what extent the horrors occurred, or to what depths the scars left had been cut. It is in the past, but it will affect many lives from here far into the future.

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