Japanese American History: Timeline & Vocabulary for Understanding the Experience, Lecture notes of Japanese

Download Japanese American History: Timeline & Vocabulary for Understanding the Experience and more Lecture notes Japanese in PDF only on Docsity! June 2019 This timeline is designed to provide a general historic framework for understanding the Japanese American experience and the contents of Common Ground: The Heart of Community. It is designed specifically to help you prepare for your visit to the Japanese American National Museum and is not all-inclusive of every event in Japanese American history. More information about the Japanese American experience can be found at janm.org/education/resources/. We look forward to welcoming you to the Japanese American National Museum! 1790 1848 – 1855 1853 1861 – 1865 1868 1873 May 1882 1908 1913 1924 Oct/Nov 1941 Dec 7, 1941 Feb 1942 March 1942 1943 1943 - 1945 Congress decrees that “any alien, being a free white person” who has resided within the United States for at least two years can become a citizen (i.e. no person of color could become a naturalized citizen) Discovery of new gold brings 300,000 people westward and helps propel California into statehood Commodore Matthew Perry uses military might to open Japan to Western trade Civil War over the question of slavery divides the United States Known as the Gannenmono, 153 Japanese—including six women and a child—are the first immigrants to Hawai`i from Japan Congress decrees that “persons of African nativity or descent” are eligible for citizenship. All Asian immigrants remain ineligible Congress passes the Chinese Exclusion Act, setting the precedent for laws explicitly excluding Asian immigrants and shutting off Chinese immigration for the next sixty years Gentleman’s Agreement between Japan and the United States effectively ends further immigration of Japanese laborers to the United States Alien Land Laws in California and Arizona prohibit “aliens ineligible to citizenship” (i.e. Asian immigrant males) from purchasing or owning land Congress passes the Johnson-Reed Act (Immigration Act of 1924), halting all immigration of Japanese into the Unites States Curtis B. Munson is commissioned by President Roosevelt to gather information on Japanese American loyalty; his report (Munson Report) concludes that Japanese Americans are loyal and would pose little threat to the U.S. in the event of war Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into World War II. Local authorities and the FBI begin to round up the Issei leadership of Japanese American communities in Hawai`i and on the continent President Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066, which allows military authorities to exclude anyone from anywhere without trial or hearings Forced removal of Japanese Americans from the west coast starts with the Army’s first Civilian Exclusion Order, issued in Bainbridge Island near Seattle Four Japanese Americans challenged the constitutionality of and refused to comply with the exclusion orders: Fred Korematsu, Mitsuye Endo, Gordon Hirabayashi, and Minoru Yasui US Army and the War Relocation Authority (WRA) administer a “loyalty questionnaire” within the camps. Poor administration, the invasive nature of questions, and confusion over the questionnaire’s purpose create tension in the camps In addition to African Americans and Native Americans, the US Army segregate Japanese Americans into separate units. The all Japanese American 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team would become the most decorated units of their size in US military history Timeline of Japanese American History Im m igr at ion P er iod Be tw ee n 1 88 5 an d 1 92 4, ap pr ox im at ely 3 00 ,0 00 Is se i im m igr at e t o H aw ai` i a nd th e c on tin en ta l U nit ed S ta te s W W II, F or ce d Re m ov al, an d In ca rc er at io n 12 0, 00 0 Ja pa ne se A m er ica ns — tw o- th ird s o f w ho m w er e U .S . c iti ze ns — ar e f or cib ly re m ov ed fr om th e P ac ifi c C oa st an d i nc ar ce ra te d i n t en co nc en tra tio n c am ps th ro ug ho ut th e i nt er ior of th e U nit ed S ta te s JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM June 2019 The ten American concentration camps run by the War Relocation Authority close. Japanese Americans begin the process of resettlement largely on their own, being given only $25 and a one-way train ticket. Many feared leaving camp and rejoining society as anti-Japanese sentiment was still rampant Congress passes the McCarran-Walter Act (Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952), allowing Japanese immigration to the U.S. once again, albeit in small numbers, and allowing Issei to become U.S. citizens for the first time Redress movement begins. Japanese American communities demand apology and recognition of wrongdoings from the U.S. government The Commission for Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC) hold public legislative hearings as part of its investigation into the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Approximately 750 witnesses testify President Reagan signs the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which provides for individual payments of $20,000 to each surviving internee and a $1.25 billion education fund First redress payments are made, accompanied by a letter of apology signed by President George H. W. Bush 1944 – 1946 1952 1970s 1981 August 1988 1990 Po st- W ar R es et tle m en t, Re dr es s, an d Re pa ra tio ns