Impact

As a world-wide transition from their homes to the internment camps, the Japanese Americans were disrupted from their lives, losing everything they owned. However, they recovered from traumatic events by coming together as a community to represent their strength.

The Issei, the first generation of Japanese immigrants, came to America looking for opportunities. These opportunities came from farming and businesses they developed. However, when the incarceration of Japanese Americans was ordered, many families were forced to sell their property or resort to lending their property to friends to manage. The Issei and Nisei, second generation of Japanese immigrants, lost their opportunities, but they could still rebuild communities in incarceration camps. 

To make up for the hardship and loss, the Japanese Americans rebuilt and strengthened communities inside the camps. Communities did what they could to make the camps feel like home. The children were able to play sports, makeshift schools were established to provide an education to the younger generation, and large farms were created to provide for families in the camp. Throughout their time in incarceration camps, the Japanese Americans demonstrated their strength to recover from the situation and grow as a community.

Although it is in the past, recalling Japanese American internment helps modern day society understand and learn lessons about discrimination and encourages awareness of other historical injustices, such as the 9/11 terrorist attack.

“In the week and months after 9/11, hate crimes directed against Muslim, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Americans increased by 1,600 percent throughout the nation, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. These included murders, property damage, physical violence, and harassment” (Densho).

The 9/11 terrorist attack left the U.S. devastated, but referring to past events, fear and uncertainty led to the unjust treatment of Muslims, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Americans who were not related to the incident, similar to the way Japanese Americans were treated after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  These similarities uncover a link between fear leading to discrimination. This connection can aid modern day experts in recognizing other patterns of racial discrimination in past events.