Rooted in decades of anti-Japanese and anti-Asian prejudice, the internment of 120,000 Nisei, American citizens of Japanese descent, and Issei, Japanese resident aliens, was triggered by the bombing of Pearl Harbor in Dec. 7, 1941.
Initiatives and legislation during the previous forty years had restricted or prohibited Japanese immigration, land ownership and U.S. naturalization. Still nearly 127,000 Japanese Americans were living in the United States mostly in California, Oregon and Washington. Immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan, a mandatory curfew was imposed, first on Japanese aliens and then on Japanese American citizens and all were required to carry identification. On February 19, 1942 President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 ordering the exclusion of all persons of Japanese descent, alien or citizen within designated areas of Washington, Oregon, California and Arizona for reasons of military necessity.
Persons of Japanese American descent were instructed to report to assigned assembly centers, until interment camps could be built. They were given only a few days to secure or dispose of their land, houses and possessions. They were allowed to take 100 pounds per person or what they could carry.
There were sixteen assembly centers, ten Justice Department camps, six citizen isolation centers and ten interment camps. The interment camps were located in the states of Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, California, Idaho and Arkansas and operated from 1942-1946.
The Heart Mountain Relocation Center opened in 1942 and closed in November 1945 and all persons were removed, given twenty-five dollars and a rail pass to the destination of their choice. Former internees suffered great hardships during the years after World War II. The former internees often met with hostility, acute housing shortages, loss of jobs and businesses and were forced to start life anew. Recovery came slowly.
The Commission On Wartime Relocation and Interment of Civilians concluded the exclusion, expulsion and incarceration of Japanese Americans in World War II was not justified by military necessity, as the government had claimed, instead the decision was based on race prejudice, war hysteria, and failure of political leadership.
The interment of Japanese Americans is unique to the period of World War II; however, it is of disturbing relevance today when groups of people continue to be singled out.
Side-bar on right
The walking tour is on land owned by the United States Department of the Interior and operated by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. The walking tour is made possible by the Heart Mountain, Wyoming Foundation through private donations.
The Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation is established to memorialize and educate the public about the significance of the historical events surrounding the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, and especially the experiences of Japanese Americans who were interned at the Heart Mountain War Relocation Center near Heart Mountain, Wyoming.
The walking tour presents a partial pictured of the events that took place in the War Relocation Center at Heart Mountain, Wyoming. The trail is approximately 1000 feet in length and is situated in the area of the relocation center that originally housed the Administration buildings. The estimated time for viewing is approximately 30 minutes.
A more detailed description of the internment experience including military service and resistance to the draft and be found in the brochure at this kiosk.
Comments 0 comments