Never Again: The 75th Anniversary of Japanese American Incarceration

The Appeal

In the wake of Pearl Harbor, various instances of anti-Japanese and Japanese-American sentiment was rampant in the United States. An established community on the West coast now became hyper-visible, now seen as the threat from within. The passage of Executive Order 9066 only furthered perceptions of Japanese and Japanese-Americans as "alien combatants," leading to various acts of discrimination. 


In an appeal to the community's morality, many Japanese descendants attempted to highlight their own "American-ness." Many of those in the community at this enjoyed full citizenship of the United States, as a significant portion was born and raised in the United States. However, wartime rhetoric painted this community and Japanese-Americans as perpetual foreigners. No matter how American they were, they were still not part of this country. 

 

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