We are all familiar with this shameful episode in American History, one sanctioned by one of the most liberal Presidents ever elected to the White House in FDR. I will not try to recall that but add a few notes I came across while reading a novel about the effects on two families in Seattle during that time. The Japanese American community-most of which were Americans by birth and spoke only English-in Seattle were sent to a camp in western Idaho called Minidoka. This source notes that rebellion within the camp, did not occur even thou the inmates vastly outnumbered the guards, because the inmates were "showing their loyalty to the US by their obedience". I am sure you all know, but I think it worth repeating, that the War Relocation Authority-that ran the camps-wanted all males 17 and older to "sign of oath of loyalty to the US". That would allow them to be drafted to serve in the US army fighting Germans and Italians. Many did just that and formed the "Go for Broke" 442nd Regiment becoming one of the most highly decorated American units in the war. Some did not sign the oath and were considered "resisters" and sent off to another camp. I wonder what happened to them.
The author notes an incident of a US soldier shooting and killing a Japanese American inmate in the camp who was trying to direct a construction truck from going the wrong way in the camp. The soldier was not tried or punished. He was, however, fined for the "unauthorized use of government property"; that being the bullet he used to kill the inmate.
At wars end, some members of this community returned to their former homes to find nothing left of their homes, businesses and personal property. The author does note that a large collection of personal papers and photos were stored in the basement of the Panama Hotel in that city and was not found to many years after the war. The Japanese Americans who did return couldn't find homes or apartments to rent and only a few remained. The American Friends Service Committee is one, if not the only, groups to help them.
(Source: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. 2009)
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