The Voice

                         Japanese Internment

    The Asian-American civil rights movement was created so Asian Americans could get the rights they deserved in
America.  Japanese Americans were interned from 1942-1945 during World War II.  There was one man who tried standing up to the
United States government his name was Fred Korematsu.  Although Korematsu lost his case against the Supreme Court he made a difference in the movement. I think that one of the main reasons the Asian-American started this movement was because they were tired of being denied their rights as Americans.  This movement was successful in the end when the Asian-Americans finally were able to become citizens of the
United States of America.
    During this time Asian-Americans barely had any rights even though most were born in
America.  The Asian-Americans were also denied their rights because they were held in internment camps against their will.  This injustice occurred in 1942 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the government decided to put all Japanese people in the
United States in internment camps.  As you can see in the picture below the Japanese were                                                                                                                           
interned in camps like the one here and were kept behind barb wire fences so they wouldn't escape.  The living conditions were horrible due to the fact the buildings were run down.  This was very similar to what happened to the Jewish people during the Holocaust.  As you can see here this was one of the corridors in one of the buildings in the internment camp.   Being denied their rights was one of the big reasons the Asian-Americans were so mad and started this movement.  Another Injustice Was during 1965 when congress passed a law that halted all immigration from
Asia.  This was called the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965.  
    Some methods of resistance used by Asian- Americans were refusing to go in to the internment camps, pretending not to be Japanese and taking cases to Supreme Court.  Many Asian-Americans refused to enter these internment camps but were forced to by the military and since most people were with their families and children they didn't want them to get hurt.  One man pretended to not be Japanese, his name was Fred Korematsu.  Fred Korematsu was arrested pretending not to be Japanese and he took his case to Supreme Court, where they decided that it was legal to put them in internment camps.  Although he lost this case made a big difference later on in this movement.  Although some of these methods of resistance didn't work right away they played a big part in getting the movement recognized and successful.  
    One Legal achievement of the movement was that Asian Americans were able to become citizens of
America.  The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 is changed and now they must have a certain amount of immigrants and also now they can become citizens.  Another achievement was later in 1988 where the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, this gave $20,000 to any body who was in an internment camp during World War II.
CIVIL LIBERTIES ACT OF1988

Enacted by the United States Congress
August 10, 1988
"The Congress recognizes that, as described in the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, a grave injustice was done to both citizens and permanent residents of Japanese ancestry by the evacuation, relocation, and internment of civilians during World War II. As the Commission documents, these actions were carried out without adequate security reasons and without any acts of espionage or sabotage documented by the Commission, and were motivated largely by racial prejudice, wartime hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.
The excluded individuals of Japanese ancestry suffered enormous damages, both material and intangible, and there were incalculable losses in education and job training, all of which resulted in significant human suffering for which appropriate compensation has not been made.
For these fundamental violations of the basic civil liberties and constitutional rights of these individuals of Japanese ancestry, the Congress apologizes on behalf of the Nation."
Based on the findings of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC), the purposes of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 with respect to persons of Japanese ancestry included the following:

1) To acknowledge the fundamental injustice of the evacuation, relocation and internment of citizens and permanent resident aliens of Japanese ancestry during World War II;

2) To apologize on behalf of the people of the United States for the evacuation, internment, and relocations of such citizens and permanent residing aliens;

3) To provide for a public education fund to finance efforts to inform the public about the internment so as to prevent the recurrence of any similar event;

4) To make restitution to those individuals of Japanese ancestry who were interned;

5) To make more credible and sincere any declaration of concern by the United States over violations of human rights committed by other nations.
This was the very act that was a big achievement to the Asian-American's movement and one of their big successes.  Any Japanese-American and their families that suffered in internment camps received a public apology and $20,000.  As you can see above this shows physical proof that their attempts were successful.  Like I said before although Fred Korematsu lost his case he was a big part of getting this act passed.  Also the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 was a goal that this movement was for, it allowed Asians to become citizens in the
United States and get equal treatment.
    I think this movement is important to study because a big part of the
United States is Asian and I think it's important to know how they got their rights here just like it's important to know how other ethnicities got their rights here.  Seeing how they fought so hard for their rights and we were born with ours makes me really think how I should be more grateful of our rights because I can imagine how hard it was to get them for them.  I think life has changed a lot because back then there was a lot of prejudice and segregation, today we are integrated and everyone has equal opportunities.