In February 1942, Japanese American internment was officially mandated with the Executive Order 9066, which ushered in the evacuation and subsequent internment of all people of Japanese descent in Military Areas 1 and 2 on the West Coast. These individuals were removed regardless of citizenship status, under the rationale of military necessity. Officially, this meant that the loyalty of these individuals could not be determined in a reasonable amount of time, especially with the fear of national security. Unofficially, this decision was racially motivated and discriminatory, based on negative stereotypes about the Japanese. 

For two to three decades after World War II and internment had ended, the historical scholarship on Japanese American internment was written through the perspective of the War Relocation Authority (WRA), the federal government, and the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL). Gradually, this WRA/JACL perspective began to crumble, as  historians gained more access to primary sources that highlighted the perspectives of the internees themselves. Building off of this trend, my research delves into the dynamics between individuals who were labeled as “pro-American” and accepted the actions of the U.S. government, and individuals who were seen as “anti-American” and actively resisted internment. Such interactions are interesting because each group had clear motivations behind their actions, yet these influences are clouded by the ways in which the opposing sides have described their experiences. The desire to explore the relationship between both sides and gain a deeper understanding of the motivations of the internees spearheaded my research process. 

Throughout my thesis, I challenge the assumptions that were often attributed to the three different subgroups in the camps: 1) Issei, 2) Nisei, and 3) Kibei. Issei were Japanese citizens who immigrated to the U.S., Nisei were American citizens, born to the Issei, and the Kibei were American citizens who spent a considerable amount of time in Japan for educational purposes. Issei and Kibei were often branded as “disloyal” and came under suspicion due to their direct connections to Japan and their education. On the other hand, Nisei were regarded as generally “loyal,” and outside organizations such as the Japanese American Citizens’ League continually emphasized this fact. While these assumptions may be accurate in some instances, assuming that they were always accurate has the potential to eliminate narratives from people who did not fit those molds.

My research builds off of the trend of uncovering new voices and perspectives by engaging in a thorough analysis of conflict and division in the internment camps. In particular, I look at two major acts of resistance in the camps: 1) the Poston Strike, which took place in the Poston internment camp, and 2) the Manzanar Riot, which occurred in the Manzanar internment camp. It is important to note that large acts of resistance were not the only forms of conflict and disobedience in the camps–however, understanding the leadup to such events, the messaging during them, and the aftermath can provide more insight into internment life. Additionally, the government’s portrayal of these events as the actions of a “pro-Axis” minority takes away from a truer understanding of who was involved and why. For this reason, understanding the motives behind the government’s perspective is also a major part of my research.

Ultimately, my thesis operates outside of typical stereotypes attributed to internees and contrasts the ways in which the government framed internee behavior with more accurate accounts of their actions. I place a particular focus on exploring under discussed accounts of conflict and lesser known internees, both of which help to illuminate internment narratives.