Japanese-American Incarceration during the Second World War
Examine these photos of Japanese-American incarceration and write your thoughts on them.
Read the questions and scenarios below and answer them:
What do you think it means to be an American?
Imagine you are the child of immigrants. You were born in the United States and have never been to another country in your whole life. One day, a war breaks out between the United States and the country your parents came from. You don’t know why the war broke out but now when people see you they call you nasty names.
The government says that your family and everyone else like you is a security risk, and you will be forced to relocate to camps.
Do you think that is right or wrong? Why?
When your family is relocated, you are only allowed to bring with you what you can carry in a suitcase.
What belongings of yours would you take? What would you have to leave behind?
Your family owned a business that many people in the community frequented. Your family was forced to sell it before they were relocated. Other people like your family also had to sell off their businesses and other belongings that they couldn’t bring with them. Much was sold for far less than it was worth. If the war ended, do you think your family deserves restitution for everything they had to sell off? Why or why not?
