Japanese-Americans Recall The Pain Of World War II Internment 60 Years Later

Japanese-Americans recall the pain of World War II internment 60 years later

Monday, February 18, 2002
©2002 Associated Press

It's been 60 years, but the pain of destroying her mother's kimonos and anything else of Japanese origin still stings Betty Haruko Nishi. She remembers all too well how the federal government forced thousands of Japanese to give up their homes and businesses to live in internment camps during World War II.

"Everything happened so fast. My dad's new tractor, we had to leave behind. We couldn't take anything Japanese," Nishi, 72, told the San Jose Mercury News. "It was horrible."

President Roosevelt signed an Executive Order on Feb. 19, 1942, forcing about 120,000 Japanese-Americans -- many of them U.S. citizens living on the West Coast -- away from their homes, jobs and farms and into 10 internment camps.

The U.S. government did not formally apologize or make reparations to internment survivors until 1989.

Former internees say they hope a lesson was learned from their pain and that others aren't treated the same during America's war on terrorism.

"I hope the same thing doesn't happen to the Middle Easterners," said Dave Tatsuno, whose family was forced to sell their store's merchandise and move to Topaz in the Utah desert. "Most of them are innocent like we were. The country has to be careful to never again fall into the trap of condemning a people due to ancestry."

Nishi had just celebrated her 12th birthday with her family in Turlock when she was sent to a filthy assembly center in Merced with her parents, five brothers and sister. Nishi's mother went temporarily blind with stress, and her siblings got pneumonia and ulcers.

Four months later, they shared two stark rooms in Amanche, Colo., and watched many young men leaving the camps to fight for the United States overseas. Ultimately, the all-Japanese 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team suffered the highest casualty rate and became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history for its size and length of service.

"Looking back I remember the deep well of pain the experience caused my parents," Nishi said. "It is something that will always be in my heart."

Katie Hironaka, 82, also can't forget, even though she admits the camps -- in a strange way -- may have saved lives.

"What was done to us was wrong," said Hironaka, who was a new mother sent to Heart Mountain, Wyo., with her parents and brothers.

"And yet, there was so much prejudice and ignorance, who knows how many Japanese homes would have been burned, how many citizens would have been hurt or even killed if we had been around?" she said. "In that way it was good, and yet it was so terrible as well."

Still cutting up the post to fit your response.

Yep, it's the way I do it.

Yes you have racist views because you agree with locking up American citizens based only on their color of skin.

The founding fathers made this legal with the "suspension of Habeas Corpus" clause. Were they racist?

I only condone either deporting or confining those that do not hold citizenship status.

Then if I'm racist, aren't you too? Are you going to send back Orientals for the crimes committed by Arabs?

Ok now you say they were victims of war. But you still don't say you are sorry to someone that is a victim?

America didn't start that war, Japan did.

War on a battlefield is hell, where in the United States besides Pearl Harbor was a battle fought?

WW2 disrupted the lives of every citizen. 200,000 mothers lost their sons. Are you saying war wasn't hell for them?

AHH so your opinion on that generation is just that, your opinion.

Yep. That's what I discuss, my opinions. That's what discussion boards are for. If you don't want to read opinions, read the encyclopedia.

You have not taken the time to get their point of view.

You haven't taken the time to personally talk to Hitler's henchmen, so by your standards, you should have no opinion on the holocaust.

You don't think that there was any protests back then?

Show me some.

Those American citizens locked up protested everyday.

I'm sure they did. What about the rest of America?

OHHH but I forgot their skin color made their opinion not count.

Their opinions count. They were just outnumbered. That's a constitutional republic for you. I suppose you don't respect that system?

Because #3 Fan believes that your skin color determines your self-worth.

No, because I believe certain skin colors are more likely to commit sabotage, depending on who our enemy of the time is.

So are we now talking about the holocaust? What generation am I lamblasting?

You said what the '40s generation did was wrong. You also said that the 1860's generation didn't fulfill their duties.

When did I say the forefathers were not smart, sophisticated?

You said they were wrong not to trust all the Japanese-Americans.

Again you have made claims that you cannot back up.

Your words on right here for all to see.

You still have yet to answer questions asking for your proof of claims. I guess we will just add this one to the list.

Your own words are my proof.

Are you female?

So now not only are you a racist, you are a sexist. This just keeps getting better. In the 1860's were our forefathers on the issue of slavery wrong? Yes they were. On the slavery issue their morals were not in the right place. In the 1940's was the gov't wrong for locking up American citizens? Yes they were. You try to play a race card on me for wanting to get illegals out of the country. If you do not hold citizen or permanent resident status in this country and this country is attacked then sorry but you will have to leave. OK so now their not victims, they are responsible for the war. Jap-Americans who were born in this country, fought for this country, died for this country were resposible for the war. OK whatever you say racist. Suspending habeas corpus is not a racist act. Locking up American citizens based on skin color is. You can tap dance your views all day long but that doesn't change anything. Didn't you say that you don't read opinion? But now that it suits you opinions are good? OK sure I guess that is how it works. So their opinions count but they are a minority so screw em lock em up right? OK lets see how many times you change your story this time. Still no answers or proof just more rubbish.

So now not only are you a racist, you are a sexist.

I'm a sexist because I asked if you were female?

This just keeps getting better. In the 1860's were our forefathers on the issue of slavery wrong?

Most of our forefathers were against slavery.

Yes they were. On the slavery issue their morals were not in the right place.

Few supported the slavery portions of the Constitution. They had to include it to get more states in. Compromise, remember.

In the 1940's was the gov't wrong for locking up American citizens?

No.

Yes they were. You try to play a race card on me for wanting to get illegals out of the country.

No, you accused me of being racist for racially profiling Arabs. I asked if you were going to racially profile who gets deported and who doesn't. If you were, then by your definition, you're a racist too.

If you do not hold citizen or permanent resident status in this country and this country is attacked then sorry but you will have to leave.

Everyone, or just the attackers profile?

OK so now their not victims, they are responsible for the war. Jap-Americans who were born in this country, fought for this country, died for this country were resposible for the war.

No Japan was. But there would have been Japanese sympathizers in the Japanese-American population.

OK whatever you say racist.

You say the word "racist" as much as a liberal. You watch too much TV.

Suspending habeas corpus is not a racist act. Locking up American citizens based on skin color is.

That's what suspension of Habeas Corpus allows.

You can tap dance your views all day long but that doesn't change anything. Didn't you say that you don't read opinion? But now that it suits you opinions are good?

Whose opinions am I using? The Constitution is law, not just opinion.

OK sure I guess that is how it works. So their opinions count but they are a minority so screw em lock em up right?

That's our system. You don't respect the law that the Constitution has lain down?

OK lets see how many times you change your story this time. Still no answers or proof just more rubbish.

Where have I changed my story?

You're back to calling names again. Is there a reason you are having such a hard time with this subject? Why do my opinions on this subject mean so much to you, enough to call names and such? I asked if you are female because men and women are different and think different. Generally, men and women handle things differently. It doesn't mean one is better than the other, but there will be a difference that is detectable, usually. I've read your posts on other threads and you don't get wired like you are here. Generally, males grow up trying to see what they can do to get to one another. Generally, females grow up playing nice. That's why I asked. You've been lashing out at everything I do (like my posting style, my catch-phrase, etc.) whether it relates to the subject of this thread or not. It seems as if you're not used to dissenting opinion, like you've always played nice. Politics is a million people with a million different opinions. Don't let this stuff get to you. :^)

Yeah OK so now the forefathers were against slavery but they condoned it to comprimise, yes some were against it but that didn't help much did it. OK so comprimising someone's liberty is OK even though it is one of our inalienable rights. You are profiling gender now as well as race. I am a male and have debated with both genders, and see no difference. You can play that tactic till your blue in the face. You try to say I'm out of control and losing my temper to sway the arguement. Trust me if I lose my temper I will most likely get kicked off of FR. It takes alot more than a racist like you to get to me. All you have to say is rubbish. So now you are not debating your opinions anymore you are debating the Constitution. So now the story is our system is to not care about minority opinions. So let me get this straight our Constitution says that we should lock people up based on the color of their skin even though they are American citizens, if they are a minority race we should say their opinion counts to save face but ignore it anyway, and comprimise peoples inalienable rights for their own good? You still trying to turn that race card? Let me help since this is above your head. If this country is attacked I don't care if you are German, Irish, Mexican, Canadian, French, Italian, African, Arab, Russian, Black, White, Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, or Pink with Lavender polka-dots. If you don't hold citizen status or permanent resident status in our country you will have to leave or deal with being detained for questioning and the checking of your background. That is not racial profiling it is status profiling. So if that means I'm a.... I don't know statuscist then I guess you can call me that if thats even a word. So lets see which way you spin this time.

I guess the founding fathers just weren't as moral and sophisticated as you.

You are profiling gender now as well as race. I am a male and have debated with both genders, and see no difference.

You reminded me of my mom, I guess. LOL I don't have to feel guilty about getting you worked up now. :^)

You can play that tactic till your blue in the face. You try to say I'm out of control and losing my temper to sway the arguement.

You go through periods of namecalling, and then stop, and then do it again. It looked as if you were having a hard time.

Trust me if I lose my temper I will most likely get kicked off of FR. It takes alot more than a racist like you to get to me.

Are you going to profile your deportees? If so, then according to your definition, you're a racist too.

All you have to say is rubbish. So now you are not debating your opinions anymore you are debating the Constitution. So now the story is our system is to not care about minority opinions.

If we didn't care about the minority, we'd be a democracy. Because we care about minority opinion, we're a constitutional republic.

So let me get this straight our Constitution says that we should lock people up based on the color of their skin even though they are American citizens, if they are a minority race we should say their opinion counts to save face but ignore it anyway, and comprimise peoples inalienable rights for their own good?

The Constitution allows the Congress to hold people without charges, in cases of rebellion or invasion specifically, for the the public safety. The '40s generation deemed a possible Japanese invasion of California a good enough reason to hold the relatives of those possible invaders for the duration of the war. I think they were right. You would've done the same but you think they were wrong. LOL

You still trying to turn that race card? Let me help since this is above your head. If this country is attacked I don't care if you are German, Irish, Mexican, Canadian, French, Italian, African, Arab, Russian, Black, White, Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, or Pink with Lavender polka-dots. If you don't hold citizen status or permanent resident status in our country you will have to leave or deal with being detained for questioning and the checking of your background.

So if nationals from a country like El Salvadore, and their sympathizing American relatives attack our border guards you're going to kick out every German student, every doctor from India, every engineer from Japan, everybody? That seems like a lot of work for a problem that racial/national profiling could solve easily and in a hurry. It would be safer to concentrate on the hispanics in border states because it would be a lot faster.

That is not racial profiling it is status profiling. So if that means I'm a.... I don't know statuscist then I guess you can call me that if thats even a word. So lets see which way you spin this time.

That is a hell of a lot of work, disrupting people's lives that obviously had nothing to do with the current problem. Your system deems much more "cruelty" necessary than mine does. Life isn't a bed of roses. Sometimes, events will force a person to be put in a position that most others will not have to face. This notion that if one suffers then all should suffer doesn't make much sense to me and looks like that it would just end up with everyone continually suffering because there is always going to be someone somewhere in a compromising position.

I've been consistant. Show me where I haven't.

Everyone hang on were changing directions again. So now the story is that you don't think my way is good because it disrupts lives that had nothing to do with what happened. Remind me again how many of the family members locked up while their loved ones were dying for the country were flying those zeros and dive bombers at Pearl Harbor. Also now you say that the gov't only deemed it neccesary to hold the relatives of possible attackers. What about those that were held that were born here and had no family whatsoever in Japan? The forefathers that condoned slavery and the forefathers that comprimised a man's liberty even though the Declaration of Independece says it is one of our inalienable rights were not moral on the issue of slavery. Are you saying that everything our forefathers do should never be questioned? They were great men who did great things, but are you telling me they were some sort of saints that never made mistakes? Yeah and racial profiling is better because you don't want to do any work. Maybe if the govt agencies had done their work in the first place their would be no Sep. 11th. Why focus on only that group? Germans and Japs were allies, no doubt some of the German sabotage done on American soil was to help the Japs also. OSS sabotage in Germany was done for our allies as much as it was done for us. One of the OSS missions was to sabotage the German rocket program to stop them from attacking the UK as well as the US. What about mister Johnny Taliban? He's not an Arab but he sure loves them for some reason. Are you telling me that America was not a more racist country in the 40's then it is today? What about the Civil War? Lincoln suspended habeas corpus and they did not round up all those southeren loyalists in the north. They even let prisoners go after swearing an oath of allegience to the US. That same allegience those American citizens in the 40's swore to. So why the internment camps then? Battles were fought on American soil and had greater risks of sabotage than WWII.

Everyone hang on were changing directions again.

Long conversations meander, otherwise you'd just keep repeating the same thing.

So now the story is that you don't think my way is good because it disrupts lives that had nothing to do with what happened.

That's right, I don't believe you send 5 million people to sea for the actions of a specific group with a specific problem.

Remind me again how many of the family members locked up while their loved ones were dying for the country were flying those zeros and dive bombers at Pearl Harbor.

Their relatives were flying those planes. There were sympathizers. To think otherwise is naive.

Also now you say that the gov't only deemed it neccesary to hold the relatives of possible attackers.

No, hold them all in the case of WW2, because you don't know who's relatives and friends with who.

What about those that were held that were born here and had no family whatsoever in Japan?

Hold them too.

The forefathers that condoned slavery and the forefathers that comprimised a man's liberty even though the Declaration of Independece says it is one of our inalienable rights were not moral on the issue of slavery.

So now you're admitting you don't respect the Constitution? Why do you call yourself a patriot?

Are you saying that everything our forefathers do should never be questioned?

No, but we don't call them "immoral" for being products of their times.

They were great men who did great things, but are you telling me they were some sort of saints that never made mistakes?

No, but they weren't "immoral" either.

Yeah and racial profiling is better because you don't want to do any work.

I don't want to do unnecessary work.

Maybe if the govt agencies had done their work in the first place their would be no Sep. 11th.

So it's all their fault that they couldn't read Atta's mind and see that he was going to hijack that plane? Wouldn't have that been racial profiling, suspecting an up-till-then innocent man of a crime he hadn't committed yet just because of the way he looked?

Why focus on only that group? Germans and Japs were allies, no doubt some of the German sabotage done on American soil was to help the Japs also.

Germans and Italians were held also, and rightfully so.

OSS sabotage in Germany was done for our allies as much as it was done for us.

Germans were interned also.

One of the OSS missions was to sabotage the German rocket program to stop them from attacking the UK as well as the US. What about mister Johnny Taliban? He's not an Arab but he sure loves them for some reason.

Liberalism.

Are you telling me that America was not a more racist country in the 40's then it is today?

I don't remember gas chambers being set up to kill other races, so I would say that we weren't more racist. Comparing the number of Americans murdered because of their race in the '90s to that number in the '40s, I'll bet that number is higher now. Almost everyone is prejudiced. Being prejudiced is not being racist. Are most of the people of your neighbored the same color as you? If not, then I guess you prefer to be around your own race. Most people do.

What about the Civil War? Lincoln suspended habeas corpus and they did not round up all those southeren loyalists in the north.

Yes they did, a lot of them.

They even let prisoners go after swearing an oath of allegience to the US.

After the war was over. We let the Japanese go too after WW2 was over.

That same allegience those American citizens in the 40's swore to. So why the internment camps then?

Because there were sympathizers in the Japanese-American community. To think otherwise is being naive.

Battles were fought on American soil and had greater risks of sabotage than WWII.

And southern sympathizers were most certainly held during the Civil War.

I pinged you on the other thread on this subject, go read it.

No using new ideas to support your statement is done during long conversations, not changing your statements altogether. So those citizens that were locked up and had relatives fighting for the United States, also had relatives fighting for the Japs? Is that the new story? Ok so now we are back to holding everyone again?

Your response: So now you're admitting you don't respect the Constitution? Why do you call yourself a patriot?

Now show me where in my statement that you responded to did I say I have no respect for the constitution? I didn't even use the word Constitution.

So it was a moral thing to have slaves and disregard the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for the sake of comprimise?

OK so now even though on post 233 you said that locking up Germans was impractical because there was to many, that the Germans were in fact locked up like the Japs? Which is it were they locked up or weren't they?

No sir, southeren loyalists were released during the war after swearing an oath of allegience, and there was no massive round-up of all southerners. They were arrested at the order of a union commander who was suspicious of someone, not just because they were from the south.

Well this is news to me, who is setting up Gas chambers here in 2002 America and killing people of the other race? So then tell me how you decide between a person who is racist and one who is prejudiced? I'm glad you asked that, cause my wife is Mexican-American, I am full-blooded German, my neighbors to my left are also Mexican-American, my neighbors across the street are African-American, and my neighbors to the right are Irish. But all my neighbors and family are first and foremost Americans. I thought we were all Americans no matter color, race, or religion? Are you saying that we are different classes of Americans depending on our color? That is kind of racist, or is it predjudiced?

Who said the Americans were not tortured in the Japanese POW camps? That is a well documented piece of history. But what exactly is the relation to Japanese-Americans being locked up? Some of those Jap-Americans had relatives in those Japanese POW camps.

No using new ideas to support your statement is done during long conversations, not changing your statements altogether.

What statement did I change?

So those citizens that were locked up and had relatives fighting for the United States, also had relatives fighting for the Japs?

I'm sure that several did, yes. Most had relatives in Japan and no relatives fighting for the U.S.

Is that the new story? Ok so now we are back to holding everyone again?

I never said not to hold everyone.

Now show me where in my statement that you responded to did I say I have no respect for the constitution?

You said the founding fathers were not moral. Do you often do what immoral people tell you to do?

I didn't even use the word Constitution.

They wrote it.

So it was a moral thing to have slaves and disregard the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for the sake of comprimise?

It was a moral thing to form this country. Not every problem in the world can be solved by a group of about twenty men.

I said it was impractical to lock them all up. Not all Japs were locked up either, just all the west coast ones, where we expected an invasion.

No sir, southeren loyalists were released during the war after swearing an oath of allegience, and there was no massive round-up of all southerners.

There was no round-up of all Japs either. Different wars call for different techniques.

They were arrested at the order of a union commander who was suspicious of someone, not just because they were from the south.

Exactly. See there is precedence to detain people on suspicion.

Racists get violent with people of other races. 99% of the rest of the people on the planet are just prejudiced.

I'm glad you asked that, cause my wife is Mexican-American, I am full-blooded German, my neighbors to my left are also Mexican-American, my neighbors across the street are African-American, and my neighbors to the right are Irish.

Yes, I have neighbors who aren't white also. My next door neighbor was an Iranian (he moved), my best friend in my home town was black and he lived just down the street. I prefer the majority to be as I, though. So are whites a minority in your whole neighborhood though? Would you consider living in Chinatown, or Harlem, or the Arab community in Detroit?

But all my neighbors and family are first and foremost Americans. I thought we were all Americans no matter color, race, or religion?

We're different. We have different tastes. If everyone is the same, why do people of all races tend to congegrate with their own kind?

Are you saying that we are different classes of Americans depending on our color?

No, not different classes, you're trying to put words in my mouth. Rock stars don't hang out with preachers, it doesn't mean they're different classes.

That is kind of racist, or is it predjudiced?

I didn't say they were different classes, you did.

Who said the Americans were not tortured in the Japanese POW camps?

It wasn't policy. People are raped and murdered everywhere every day now also, it doesn't mean that we as a nation condone it.

That is a well documented piece of history. But what exactly is the relation to Japanese-Americans being locked up? Some of those Jap-Americans had relatives in those Japanese POW camps.

That has no bearing on the fact there were Japanese sympathizers in the Japanese-American community.

you said that the gov't was going after the relatives of the Jap invaders, then you said they went after every Jap? So which is it a select crowd or all? I did not say the founding fathers were immoral. I said that on the subject of slavery they were immoral as in used immoral judgement. So explain to me again that by saying the founding fathers were immoral on the subject of slavery, how that translates into not having any respect for the Constitution? So by your logic you are direspecting the Declaration of Independece by condoning the comprimise of people's inalienalbe rights. Does this mean by our founding father comprimising these rights that they too had no respect for the Declaration of Independece?

OK so now we again did not lock up all Japs just the ones on the west coast. The ones on the east coast near the nation's capitol we just let run free. Why would we not round up the ones near the nation's capitol if we were worried about sabotage? I mean isn't that a great place to do sabotage, considering the amount of intellegence that runs through a nations capitol during war time? Also the story now is just so I'm straight is that it was not impractical to lock up Germans, just impractical to lock up all of them?

If there was no massive round-up of Japs then how did we get them to the camps? Did they just show up and say "here I am lock me up please"? Surely we had to round them up didn't we? Exactly! Union generals detained people on suspiscion not skin color.

Now wait a minute, you said for me to ask my questions and you will answer. So why didn't you tell me about the people in modern America 2002 who are setting up Gas chambers and killing other races? I have not heard about this new epidemic in America today.

So which are you prejudice or racist?

Actually yes, the white people are the minority in my neighborhood. We live near the Latin buisness district and have many Latin people, Black people, and Arabs in our area (well at least until the gov't agrees with you and comes to round them up. Hopefully they don't mistake some of the Latin folk for Arab). We have our share of whites too.

Why wouldn't I want to live in Harlem, Chinatown, or the Arab community in Detroit, aren't we all Americans when you get right down to it? What do mean priests and rockstars are different and don't hang out? Are you saying that some rockstars don't go to church or pray? I thought we were all created equal? Are you trying to disrespect the Declaration of Independence again?

I asked you who said American POW's were not tortured? I didn't ask about policies; and who in the hell in this nation would condone our POW's being tortured? So if one had nothing to do with the other why did you ping me to that thread?

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