During my time in high school, I specifically remember always wanting to learn more on the tragedy of Japanese Internment. It has been a topic that many have glossed over but still has a hold on many families affected by this event. Especially being so recent in our country’s history and our fault due to paranoia and xenophobia, it should be important to teach accurate information to our students, as well as the many biases in history.  

This issue started when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sent out an executive order that issued Japanese-Americans to internment camps. The justification for this order was because of the attack on Pearl Harbor and fear that Japan had more American spies to do further damage to the United States. However, the main motivation was not just to prevent further violence from the Japanese, but to be violent towards Japanese-Americans. According to an article about the truth behind Japanese Internment, a family recalls how eager and hostile their neighborhood was to them. Their father recalls "one night, vigilante groups formed in town. We saw the men holding the oil torches coming across to where we lived. They were going to burn down everything. The state patrol came roaring in and told us quickly to gather up what we can in pillowcases and whatever can fit into the trunk of the car”(Roy Ebihara). 

This quote is horrifying because not only was the entire town planning on burning all of their belongings, the government was watching, and not planning on stopping it. Clearly, this issue was a racist act and people reacted by segregating American people instead of uniting them. Pearl Harbor was a tragedy in itself, and America is to blame for the tragedy and isolation of putting our own people in prison. 

If I were to teach this to a classroom full of freshmen in high school, I would emphasize the importance of bias. Many textbooks simply give facts and statistics, making sure to not dwell on emotions of the people affected. However, understanding the feelings of both sides of this issue allows for the students to get a more accurate lens into the time period. While observing in my practicum, I noticed how students are more likely to participate in assignments if they are involved. In order to promote productivity and conversation among peers, I would have multiple articles about Japanese Internment myths, facts, and first person sources. The mission would be to discuss who they think wrote it and explain why. This will help the students understand the biases within history in an engaging way.

In the article “Teaching History Students to Recognize Bias”, emphasize the importance of sharing perspectives of both sides of a story. While discussing Japanese Internment, there is clearly a morally wrong and right side. However, “aren’t we doing our students a disservice if we don’t allow for multiple perspectives in the history classroom?”(1). This article also provides worksheets to uncover bias more clearly and specific things to look for such as discovering if something is a fact or an opinion.

Works Cited: 

Shara, J. &. (2019, November 17). Teaching History Students to Recognize Bias. MiddleWeb. Retrieved May 6, 2022, from https://www.middleweb.com/12863/teaching-history-students-recognize-bias/ 

Staff, N. P. R. (2017, February 17). Couple Moves on From Silence About Time in Japanese Internment Camps. NPR. Retrieved May 6, 2022, from https://www.npr.org/2017/02/17/515563775/couple-moves-on-from-silence-about-time-in-japanese-internment-camps