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Societal And Educational Impacts Of The Japanese-American Internment Camps

669 Words3 Pages

The Societal and Educational Impacts of the Japanese-American Internment Camps Many characteristics of modern Japanese-American culture can be traced back to the internment camps of World War II. These internment camps had such an impact that they left traces in the current educational system and today’s society. There is a noticeable pattern when looking at the diffusion of Japanese-American citizens on a map. The main internment camps were located along the west coast, where most Japanese-American individuals currently reside. When you look at the educational aspect of the internment camps' history, it is evident that this crucial part of Asian-American history is not treated as such. There are organizations dedicated to supporting these …show more content…

This goes to show that this part of history is rarely taught as a mandatory course throughout schools. This can have many consequences, such as ignorance, racism, and shame. This side of history not being taught can lead to Asian-American individuals feeling invalidated or shameful of their ancestors’ past experiences: “We feel education will make us less vulnerable. It won’t stop it entirely, but we have a much better chance of reducing falsehoods and misinformation and people believing stereotypes” (Jill Anderson). There are steps we can take to make sure the ignorance can come to an end: “First, we can support state efforts to mandate the teaching of Asian-American history in public schools” (Erika Lee). If we can understand the current issues Asian Americans face, we can help support them better. The neglect of teaching Asian history in the United States has had many evident …show more content…

George Takei is a perfect example of this. George Takei, a now successful actor, and his family were victims of Executive Order 9066. They were placed into internment camps as well as many other Japanese-Americans. He narrates his experiences in the graphic novel They Called Us Enemy. Despite having faced such an inhumane and devastating experience, he pursued an education at UC Berkeley and UCLA to study theater and became a successful actor. In 1965, Takei took an acting role that would go against the perception of Asians in mainstream media. He joined Star Trek as Hikaru Sulu, a likable and trustworthy character; the character defied all perceptions of Asian people at the time. George Takei was able to shape the public image of Japanese

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