Andy Vu
ETHN 14
PROF Mark
26 November 2015
Japanese Internment Camps during World War II: Sports in the Camps.
The Bombing of Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941 resulted in President Roosevelt to issue Executive Order 0966 on February 19th 1942, which effected all Japanese ancestry, both citizens and aliens living in America or outside of the Pacific zone. The Executive Order's primary objective were to prevent any espionage and to protect the Japanese people from any harm against Americans who slowly began to become very strong anti-Japanese people who were growing their hate and racial discrimination to the Japanese due to the bombing. With the Executive Order in act, if affected “117,000 people of Japanese descent, two-thirds of whom were native-born citizens of the United States” (as stated through the National Archives.) Evacuation orders were posted in Japanese American communities giving them instructions on what they were to do. This included the Issei who were the first generation Japanese to immigrate to American and also the Nisei who were the second generation Japanese in America. The Japanese were allotted a few days to pack whatever they could and bring it with them. Many families had to sell off their homes, businesses and their belongings at a much lower price they had purchased it for. The 117,000 people of Japanese decent living in the U.S were later removed from their homes and moved to internment camps to prove their loyalty to the United States. During moving process they were also forced to take a questionnaire to identify possible recruits for the Army among the internees. The questionnaires allowed them to leave the camps to work, live and attend schools in other regions of the United States, which was basically another ticket to stir away from being interned.
As families eventually relocated to camps throughout the war, many struggled due to the limited opportunities for work and living conditions which often interrupted social and cultural patterns for many families. During their time in the camps, the Japanese faced shame and bigotry which lead to emotional and mental stress resulting many to fall into depression. To escape the feeling of despair and distract themselves from their current situations, many Japanese looked towards playing sports for relief. Basketball, martial arts, football, and one of the most played sports; baseball were among the many sports played in the camps according to (Terumi Rafferty-Osaki from American University).
Executive Order 9066 was signed on February 19th 1942, two months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. “It gave delegated authority, the power to exclude any and all persons, citizens and aliens, from designated areas in order to provide security against sabotage, espionage”, (Don T. Nakanishi). The order authorized the evacuation of all persons of Japanese ancestry, as they were all deemed to be a threat to the United States. Within the order it detailed the specific locations where families were suppose to gather and what items they were able to carry with them. Japanese families were given two days time to reach the assembly centers located nearest to them. Many were forced to leave behind most of their belongings and suffered greatly from loss of their property. This prohibition applied to “the generation of Japanese immigrants who pursuant to federal law and despite long residence in the United States, were not permitted to become American citizens... this policy exclusion, removal and detention was executed against 120,000 people without individual review” (Don T. Nakanishi). It did not matter how long Japanese families lived in American before the incident, they were instantly denied naturalization to prevent any more harm or danger to happen towards America. The 14th and 15th Amendments were pretty much ignored when it came to the removal of the Japanese, due to the fact that they did not have any right to due process, and that they were all searched without warrant and slowly were all transferred to assembly centers for processing. Assembly centers were set up throughout the American West coast and were all made quickly to house about 92,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans. But eventually these camps were eventually phased out in favor of more permanent Internment camps located in isolated areas. around the United States.
The widespread of bitterness and hatred in the United States toward the Japanese eventually grew which made many Japanese Americans question the Japanese side of their identity.
In an newspaper article, Amy Iwasaki Mass wrote of her experiences in the camps she wrote that “our parents told many of us to take ride in the strength and beauty of our ethnic heritage. It was extremely difficult maintain a positive identity during the racial hostility, propaganda, and hysteria of the war.” (Luther). Amy's experience prompted by newspapers published in the camps reflected the conflict in not only her own identity but also many other Japanese and it provided a means of the struggles that took place between cultural conflicts and identity (American vs Japanese identity). When Roosevelt ordered the “immediate evacuation of all persons of Japanese lineage”, it stated justification for a “successful prosecution of the war” mainly to protect the United States from any sabotage from the Japanese. Japanese Americans were basically uprooted from their homes and stripped of their rights. In addition to that, as they were being transported to the camps, they were being guarded by soldiers with weapons; whom rather than “protecting them” had their weapons pointed towards them. The president stated in his Executive order that it as also to protect the Japanese from any harm but with that type of action displayed by the soldiers the Japanese felt that they were more of a threat for no reason. Not only did they had to endure the humiliation of wearing tags before being transported to internment camps, they were also suffering from the financial losses of their own property and homes and racial discrimination.
The United States revoked the internment camps but the interned Japanese Americans had to demonstrate their loyalty by signing a loyal oath questionnaire before they could be released. Many were eager to leave but it was stressful and frightening at the time for both young and old Japanese Americans since many of them ha no homes or jobs to return to. “The great majority of second-generation citizens of Japanese ancestry or the Nisei was unquestionably loyal” Colonel Pettigrew stated (Tsukiyama). Despite of the fear, distrust and prejudice against the Japanese after Pearl Harbor, the Nisei wanted to prove their loyalty to the United States, proving that they were not what many thought they were to be. There were many assets from the Japanese soldiers through which they encouraged to join the armed forces and to be trained in both political and civilian services, from which they could render during and after the war. Many came home after the war as heroes, most known was a former senator, Senator Inouye. He was a 442cd veteran and a Medal of Honor recipient who became one of the highest-ranking Asian American Politicians in the United States. Even after the war he as other veterans of Japanese decent “were subjected to the same discrimination they had met with before the war” (Daniel Inouyte Biography).
With the despair, suffering, and discrimination many felt during the time period they sought other activities in the camps distract themselves. These were ideally sports like basketball, baseball, martial arts, and football. Some Japanese played for the love of he sport, as for some wanted to prove their value in society as well as in the sport they played. But as for others they also used sports as a way to resist government policies. With the “expansion of competitive programs in the concentration camps, the Japanese use their previous knowledge to develop leagues in the popular American sports like baseball, basketball, and football” (Terumi Rafferty-Osaki). In 1943, the internment camps hosted many interracial baseball games, which also included the participation of the camp guards and some of the Japanese inmates with the military police. Some of the players were even given the opportunity to travel outside the camps to play in tournaments. With the growing popularity of the Nisei boys, it drew the attention of Branch Rickey, who was the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In an opening letter at the centers, he states to the Nisei players: “The fact that these boys are American boys is good enough for the Brooklyn Club” (Osaki). With an opportunity like this it made the Nisei players feel that they were not being hated. Especially since they were offered a chance in an open tryout for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Throughout the entire baseball season, it reflected the loosening of restrictions on the Japanese inmates whom were all deemed “loyal” to the United States.
Following he baseball season, winter sports like football and basketball began to be played in many of the centers. One of the camps Poston, wanted to ban tackling in the game due to the amount of injuries being caused while playing, but others like Gila River supported the sport as it was. Football eventually reached outside the camps, being played at colleges and outside of the military zones. The internees also played basketball in recreational centers and on the courts made outside. Heart Mountain was the center of thirty-five ranked teams which were later divided into three leagues. Japanese internees also played against American teams in many camps. Watara Misaka “led the University of Utah to the 1944 NCAA title... he was never incarcerated during the war but in the postwar era he became the first profession non-Caucasian to play in the NBA.” (Osaki). With events like these sports brought together cultural differences by allowing the Japanese and Americans to share a common interest and hobby. As for the internees their participation and opportunities given to play against American teams outside of the camps really helped their hardships.
Women also participated in various sports which all began at the assembly centers. “Prior to segregation, Gila River, Rohwer, Manzanar, and Tule lake proved most coverage for “girl sports.”” (Osaki). The three main sports that woman played throughout incarceration were softball, basketball, and volleyball. The woman at Tule Lake formed the “Girls Athletic Association with Dot Keikoan serving as president” Aside from playing sports the role woman played were also involved with men sports. They stitched all the uniforms for the male players from lettering to making baseball pants.
Woman also volunteered to serve in the Women's Army Corp (WAC), and for many others they joined the Cadet Nurse Corps, being given the same opportunity to prove their loyalty to the United States as the men did many woman took it. In deciding to become a WAC, “many faced personal challenges, including harsh disapproval from their families – strict parents who did not want their daughter to run off into the unknown or siblings who felt that the military was only for woman with questionable reputation. In addition the prevailing sexism tat existed within the military compounded the racism that many Japanese Americans lived with on a daily basis” (Yanamoto). As a success during wartime, the Army asked Congress to permanently establish the WAC. The WAC displayed a significant role of Japanese woman especially during times of discrimination, that they had shown their loyalty the the United States facing great hardship but also influencing the role of woman in American society. A former WAC stated that she “felt that the Nisei had to do more than give lip service to the United States and by joining the WACs I could prove my sincerity... After all, this is everybody's war and we all have to put an equal hare into it” (Yanamoto). The actions of woman during this time period displayed how much they wanted to prove their loyalty not just for themselves but for the sake of their families. Being already racially discriminated by the bombing, both Japanese men and woman wanted to show America that they are not who they were subjected to be “enemies of the United States”.
The incarceration of the Japanese also continued to cause a degree of controversy for he United States Census Bureau because of privacy and confidentiality concerns and their effects in other countries. It exemplified the significant affects the ability of a country to conduct a census of the population could spark a public outcry in this case the Japanese population during World War II. “It is unclear what, if any, lasting impact the events associated with the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II has had on peoples perceptions of he Census Bureau's ability to maintain confidentiality of census data. It may be a concern to some, but Prewitt's (2000) recent statement indicated that his belief was that it is important that the Census Bureau accepts responsibility for its actions admitting the mistakes to take to make sure such situations are never repeated associating with the Japanese internment population.
The internment of the Japanese played a large role in the history of the United States. It shaped the relationship between two races, and shaped the United States into the country it is now. During World War II it was dark time for the country, and could have been avoided if the United States would have dealt with it differently and with more diplomacy. The loyalty that was shown by the Japanese was an obvious indicator that they posed no threat of sabotage or spying. In addition, although it was times of war, the breaches in the constitution were enormous, for example during the evacuation of the Japanese their rights were technically nullified. And for many reasons, the internment of the Japanese was a failure of diplomatic judgment by the United states. It was a step back fro equality for all due to the Executive Order 9066 because “Japanese Americans were eprived of their liberty and property by the State, when forced from their jobs, homes and communities into barbed wire, guarded centers and camps” (LegiSchool). It took hundreds ofyears to establish the rights and laws to protect American citizens, yet they were taken away instantly for the Japanese. In addition, the case of Korematsu vs. United States: “remains the best known constitutional challenge brought on by Asian Americans as well as the most important source of the standard known as ‘strict scrutiny,’ which marks the constitutional limits of public use of racial classifications and private use of racial generalization” (Randall).
It argued that racism affected the better judgment of the rights that the U.S. constitution guaranteed to all citizens. This questioned the power of the constitution over American citizens. Since it did not protect the rights of the Nikkei from discrimination, then it cannot protect any other citizen’s rights. It revealed a flaw in the document. Lastly, the treatment of the Japanese Americans in the camps were unfair and harsh where “row upon row foundations showed how more than ten thousand people squeezed in one square mile, surrounded by barbed wire, searchlights, and armed guards” (Kleffman). These people were treated like prisoners rather than relocated citizens under the protection of the government. The United States had wronged the Nikkei as Hitler had wronged the Jews; although they were extremely different levels of prejudice, it was still the same objective. This halted American progress of freedom and equality for all.
As so for many Japanese Americans being interned life throughout the war was difficult, they had to find ways to cope with the hardships and surviving as a community. Often developing depression and stress, the establishment of sports helped alleviate many to stray away from further suffering. Sports brought together communities from all camps across the country as well as bringing together Americans and the Japanese loosening the tension between the two cultures.
Methodology:
The research methods I utilized throughout the paper were using quantitative and qualitative research. I also conducted a lot of reading and research in the online library database from the school, as well as looking through journal and newspaper articles. I used these particular methods because it helped develop an outline for me to see what would work best for my paper, especially doing an interview with Masatano and Kiosato who were both internment survivors during the time period.
During my interview with both of them it was not really a one on one but more of a questionnaire where me as well as some others asked variety of questions for them to answer. It was a perfect opportunity for me because I myself do not know of anyone that could have experienced life during the time of the incarceration. And to get the chance to meet two extraordinary people who are still alive today to discuss their experiences very special. I learned quite a bit from them, for instance Kiosato told us how she was on the way home from school when she was stopped by the FBI and questioned of her racial background, then having to go to her neighbor and have him tell her that if it were to happen again come tell him. And to keep in mind that he is Chinese, showed how much both cultures looked out for each other. I also learned that her father snuck in tools in ode to make beds for the children as well as seeds to grow vegetables. To think that her father had the idea to bring seeds during such a difficult time where everything was rushed to me showed how much he looked ahead of what their family might encounter down the road. And even after they were released back into society, she said that it was very difficult to adjust back to life, especially since many families had nothing left to come home to; their homes, property, and businesses were all closed down during the evacuation and it was hard for many to start their lives over again. And on top of that racial discrimination was still big towards the Japanese. On top of that she was a WAC veteran, who volunteered for the Army.
The interview/presentation influenced the body of my paper by giving me more insight to think deeper of how it might have been to be in their shoes. What they had to go through from being forced out of their homes and being moved into camps isolated from society. Just to be sent back in time and take a look at the bigger picture made me realize how difficult it was for many families to cope with the incarceration. Especially or the children, who did not know what they did wrong to be sent to live behind barbed wires. As I look at sources and information about certain events I could connect Kiosatp's and Masatano to what they felt for man others that were in the same situations them.

Works Cited
-Randall, Vernelia R: “Internment of Japanese Americans in Concentration Camps.”
Race, Racism and American Law. The University of Dayton School of Law. 10 Mar. 2010. Web.
-Kleffman, Sandy. “Japanese-American Internment Camp Reopens as Bittersweet National Park.” Contra Costa Times. EBSCOhost. 3 May 2004. Web.
-The LegSchool Project. The Japanese-American Internment During WWII: A Discussion of Civil L-Liberties Then ad now. California State Capitol, May 2. 2000. Print.
-Yanamoto, Miwako, “Nisei WAC has no Regrets about Enlistment,” Japanese American National Museum Quaterly, Volume 10, Number 5, Winter 1995.
-“Daniel Inouye Biography – Academy of Achievment.” Academy of Achievement. 12 Aug 2013. Web. 28 Nov 2015. http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/ino0bio-1
-Tsukiyama Ted, “442cd Regimental Combat Team.” 100th Infntry Battalion Veterans. 1943. Web. http://www.100thbattalion.org/history/japanese-american-units/442nd-regimental-combat-team/2/ Mayer S. Thomas. “Privacy and Confidentiality Research and the U.S Census bureau Recomadtions based on a Review of the Literature.” U.S Bureau of the Census Washington D.C. Print. 7 Feb 2002.
Rafferty-Osaki, Terumi. "Battered but not Broken: Baseball and Masculinity at Tule Lake 1942-1946." In The Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture, 2013-2014. Ed. William M. Simons. Lincoln: McFarland Press, Forthcoming.
Nakanishi, Don T. “Surviving Democracy's “Mistake”: Japanese Americans & the Enduring Legacy of Executive Order 9066”. Amberasia Journal 19:1. 1993:7-35. http://uclajournals.org.proxy.lib.csus.edu/doi/pdf/10.17953/amer.19.1.xu217p1k01521170
National Achives. “Teaching With Documents: Documents and Photographs Related to Janese Relocation During World War II.” http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/japanese-relocation/
-Luther, Catherine A. “Japanese American Interment Camp Newspapers during World War II.” Journalism History. Summer 2003, Vol 29 Issue 2, p69-81. http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.csus.edu/ehost/detail/detail?sid=192d0ea9-0d88-4839-973b-675c2304c3d4%40sessionmgr198&vid=0&hid=126&bdata=#db=ufh&AN=10693212&anchor=AN0010693212-7