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California's relocation camps

Discussion in 'Concentration, Death Camps and Crimes Against Huma' started by Prospero Quevedo, Jul 23, 2021.

  1. Prospero Quevedo

    Prospero Quevedo Well-Known Member

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    Japanese Americans who had white American friends were lucky they would sign over their property and were able to get it back when they were released. For the majority they lost their property when it was sold for back taxes. A friend of mine used to tell me he disliked his uncle who bragged he got rich buying those japs property at auction. The government should have put the properties in some kind of protective management. Many Japanese farmers were allowed to keep farming as the products they grew were needed by the war effort. One of my grand uncles ended up in one of the camps. He ran a store in Oahu being Japanese it catered to Japanese customers as the population was mostly Japanese he was detained and sent to a camp in California without being able to notify his family after several months they released him turns out the only reason they detained him was his store sold Japanese magazines some political magazines. Anyway he was not a sympathizer and was released. My mom said he was a really good man helped people who couldn't really afford things like fridges washers and such by letting them make five dollar a month payments my mom says that's how they got their fridge and others in their neighborhood. I know one of the camps was preserved and possibly a second. Many of the 442 came from the camps while most of the 100 th came from Hawaii. Both had high casualty rates but were highly decorated for their actions against the enemy.
     
    Prospero Quevedo, Jul 23, 2021
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  2. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    In the context of the times it was probably better to remove them from the West Coast areas. Why? Because of the threat. What threat? The threat of a false-flag operation that would have kicked off a pogrom of epic proportions. Let me explain:

    First, I don't think the relocations were a "good thing" but I do believe they were the "least bad thing".

    The idea that "Jap saboteurs" was poison the water reservoirs in California was making the rounds after Dec. 7th. If the Issei and Nisei were still around an attempt to poison the reservoirs (such as a "suspicious" stockpile of poisons (aka insecticides) in some Issei's barn would have been the excuse to start anti-Japanese riots.
     
    OpanaPointer, Jul 23, 2021
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  3. Takao

    Takao Ace

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    If we saw that happen in Hawaii - which had 3 times California's Japanese population, but far fewer arrests and relocations/internments - but we don't see that happen in Hawaii.

    The best reason for the relocations.
    Confiscations from Japanese-Americans During World War II
     
    Takao, Jul 23, 2021
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  4. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    That's one view point. Another is that the Hawaiians weren't so American. The Governor of Hawaii protested plans to roundup the Nisei on the islands because it would ruin the local economy. Despite being on the pointy end of the stick as it were the people thought it best to live together. CONUS, on the other hand, didn't need the Japanese so they felt they had the luxury of removing them.
     
    OpanaPointer, Jul 23, 2021
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