Tag: US II

Japanese Internment Video Comparison by William B

The First video explains how the United States government was handling the issue of
protecting our country after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It was distributed by the US
government, and it was shown to whoever could see it. The video explains what happened to cause the internment, the way they decided to solve the issue, and the conditions that the people of Japanese Descent would be living in. The video is trying to show that the movement of the Japanese people is a good thing and that everyone is ok with it. They mentioned that in order to make sure that all people would be counted, they had to register by filling out an application for the internment. The camps were either built from scratch or buildings were converted to make sure that there was enough housing for all the people. I do not believe that this is an accurate representation of Japanese Americans because it shows all of the Japanese people who were getting on the buses and filling out the paperwork looked so happy. If there is a group of people being removed from the community because of a major event that happened, they would not be happy. The narrator of the video stated that there were people who were volunteering for the spots in the internment camps, but that isn’t believable.

The second video goes into more detail about the history of the event, and what it was like to be a Japanese American citizen during 1941. The video states that the people of Asian descent were viewed as disloyal after the attacks, but they were not liked long before the attacks. Before WWII, people believed that asian immigrants were viewed as economic threats. This also led to the internment. The people being forced into the camps were only given a short amount of time to sell their stuff, and normally there would be a huge price cut, making them lose profits on the things that they would sell. These camps were normally set in the middle of nowhere, making it so there is no way that people could see them. There was no privacy in the camps, and even in the situation they faced, the people still tried to make the best that they
could. The camps were open for three years. After the camps were removed, the people found their homes looted and their stuff gone, making them feel homeless and bare. I feel that this video is more of an accurate representation of how the program went as it is not US propaganda. This video was a documentation on the event, meaning there are not any lies about it to make people who might not be on board become on board. It stated how the people felt about the whole situation, stating that the people were not happy about it, and that when they were able to be back home, they felt as if they were homeless. They were not liked by anyone from the start, and this situation made it worse. People began looting and robbing their
homes and businesses, leaving whatever they had left stolen, making them have nothing when they came home.

I believe that the second video is the most accurate representation of the events that
took place. I believe this because the video goes into more of a detailed explanation of the events that took place during 1941, and it isn’t U.S propaganda. This video states that the people of asian descent were not liked far before the attacks of Pearl Harbor, and that added on to the fact that people wanted the internment camps to happen. When people were taken to the camps, they had very little time to prepare, forcing them to leave most of their belongings wherever they were taken from. During the time of the camps, people would take advantage of this fact and loot the businesses and homes of people of asian descent. When they got home
from the camps, it was stated that they felt homeless and betrayed.These reasons, along with many others, are why I feel that the second video is a much more accurate depiction of the terrible events that took place during 1941 to the Japanese American citizens.t

Japanese Internment Video Comparisons by Kayla L

In the first video, it seems as though it is made to signify that what the government did to the Japanese individuals was benefiting both the US and the Japanese and protecting them.  The way the video speaks, they are stating that the US is attempting to justify the actions of what was done.  Based on what we know about WWII, I do not believe that this video depicts what accurately happened during that time in history.  For example, they state that many of the Japanese individuals were volunteering to leave their homes and jobs behind.  Over ⅔ of these individuals were American citizens, why would they voluntarily leave what they had a right to? The government claims that they gave real consideration to these individuals when asking them to leave their lives behind.  When the camps were built, the government stated that they provided nourishing food to the Japanese housed in those camps.  Why would the government feel the need to provide an emphasis on the type of food being provided to them?  The video also states that the government put a strong emphasis on the health and well-being of the children housed in these camps.  I think that the statement regarding the standard set for the future to determine which individuals are loyal to the United States was an attempt to convince the citizens that this was acceptable and necessary for the protection of all.  

In the second video, the picture of what the Japanese went through is much different than that of what the government stated.  I think that this video was attempting to show the difficulties that these individuals faced and the realization of what life was like after the camps closed and the Japanese were able to go back to their homes.  I also think that this video provides a much more accurate depiction of what happened during that time.  For example, the video states that these individuals were sent to these relocation camps, in which they were provided a small 1 bedroom apartment, and 1 small heating unit.  The camps were surrounded by barbed wire and lookout towers.  Many of these individuals were forced to sell their homes and businesses for small sums of money.  The view of the Japanese ethnicity was grossly looked down upon by the other Americans.  Many of which did not want them to return back to their homes after the war.  It took 3 years to shut down the camps.  That is 3 years in which these individuals were placed in camps and not allowed to go back to their homes or belongings.  Even considering their sacrifices, over 33 thousand Japanese served in the US military during WWII, and many of them became decorated veterans.  Once the camps were closed, the government provided no assistance in getting these individuals back on their feet.  It would take 40 years before Ronald Reagan would pass the bill that would serve as justice for the wrongs made by the US government to its Japanese citizens.  

After reviewing both videos, I think that the second video portrays a more accurate accounting of what happened during WWII.  The second video provides much more details and doesn’t provide what could be viewed as an excuse for behavior.  The second video states the hardships that were experienced, whereas the first video glosses over those hardships and makes it sound like these individuals were enjoying the time they had to spend in these camps.  Overall, the second video is more believable considering what the United States was experiencing, and how the American citizens were reacting to the war.