Japanese Americans Lost Their Homes But Were Not Exactly Homeless

Summary

Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and relocated to camps during World War II, losing their property and livelihoods due to racial discrimination.

Abstract

During World War II, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans faced widespread discrimination and prejudice, leading to their mass incarceration under Executive Order 9066. The first group to be evacuated was from Bainbridge Island, Washington. Despite facing legal restrictions on land ownership and citizenship, many Japanese immigrants and their American-born children had established comfortable lives before the war. After the order was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, they were forced to leave their homes with only what they could carry, relocating to camps where they lived in cramped and substandard conditions for the duration of the war. The order was not applied in Hawaii, where the military commander deemed it unnecessary. The experience left many Japanese Americans destitute after the war, with no compensation for their losses, and some never recovered from the trauma and hardship.

Opinions

The forced removal of Japanese Americans was a racist action, as it targeted only those of Japanese heritage rather than applying equally to all Americans of Axis descent.
The living conditions in the camps

It happened during World War II

First Group of Japanese Americans and Immigrants to Leave (Image is in the public domain)

The first group forced from their homes was from Bainbridge Island, WA

By the time 1940 came, most of the Japanese immigrants to the United States had carved a home for themselves in what had become their adopted country. The men had largely married and had families. Some of their children who had been born in the United States had graduated from college and had started families of their own. They all faced discrimination, prejudice, and racism at nearly every turn, but America had been their home for decades.

There were many laws restricting the Japanese immigrants from progress in the United States. Some had been fairly successful with farming and small businesses. This brought even more prejudice against them as they were seen as competition. The immigrants from Japan were not allowed to become naturalized citizens of the United States.

Then there were rumors of war happening between the United States and Japan. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in the U.S. Territory of Hawaii on December 7, 1941, people of Japanese descent in the United States became extremely nervous. The U.S. Government immediately rounded up and arrested people who were leaders in the Japanese communities in the U.S. The FBI had been gathering information and names of these people, mostly men with families.

Although there had been established laws in California which did not allow the Japanese immigrants to purchase land, some had bought property before that law went into effect or were able to buy land and homes in the names of their adult children who were citizens of the United States. Most of the people lived in rental properties. Most of their homes were comfortable and had modern conveniences even if they were modest.

After President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, the military commander in certain areas was given the authority to remove any persons from their homes. The military commander over California, Washington, and Oregon used the order against those of Japanese heritage. Camps were built to house the people of Japanese descent living on the West Coast of the United States when they were removed from their homes. Most people lost everything they had ever owned. They were allowed to take with them only what they could carry.

The order was not used in Hawaii where there were many people living who were of Japanese heritage. The military commander there said it was not necessary. Anyone who had been a leader in the community and suspected of being capable of being a spy for Japan had already been arrested and put into prisons.

It was a totally racist move which was used on people of Japanese background. The order could have been enacted against others such as Germans and Italians, but the racist action was used against only the Japanese.

(Image is author’s)

The people had lost their homes, but technically they were not exactly homeless. They had a place to live. Many families with several members were given one room of a barracks which became their home. They could put up sheets as partitions to make a separate space, but it was far from ideal. There were community halls for eating and public latrines. There were no bathrooms or kitchens in the barracks which were their “home” for the duration of the war for most prisoners.

Their living conditions were not that dissimilar to the homeless shelters where people live temporarily when they don’t have a home except it went on for years. It was actually worse because they did not have running water and normal facilities where they were living. It was often freezing cold in the winter and stifling hot in the summer.

After the war ended, the people were sent on their way. They had to start their lives over from scratch. There was no compensation for everything they had lost, including homes, farms, income, and years of their lives. It was a devastating experience from which some people never recovered. Most worked hard and never gave up so they eventually found some success.

Many of these Japanese Americans of that era have basically suffered from homelessness through no fault of their own. They lost their homes. It was a totally racism action which caused much pain and hardship.

Some were given a token redress many years later.