Analyzing The Japanese Americans History as Shown in The Documentary When You Are Smiling

The Impact of Executive Order 9066 on Japanese Americans

Even though the United States faced significant challenges during the Great Depression, Japanese Americans encountered even more severe difficulties. The bombing of Pearl Harbor led to Japanese Americans being placed in internment camps. The resettlement Executive Order 9066, issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was especially harsh on these Japanese Americans, who were citizens of the U.S., because they were forcibly removed from their homes and separated from their families (Daniels, 1993).

Freedom and Education at a Cost

During the mass evacuation of the Japanese, freedom and education came at a high price. They lost ties with their families and friends. Many Japanese Americans did not survive and were incarcerated. They endured years of discrimination and prejudice. In the subsequent years, it was very challenging for Japanese Americans to find jobs and gain acceptance into society. In the documentary, “When You’re Smiling,” one of the Japanese Americans recalled that most places would not assist them, not even the Quakers; the only people who would help them were the African American Baptist church (Takaki, 1989). Some left camp and worked odd jobs until the draft caught up with them. Many were enlisted to serve for the United States during World War II. Janice D. Tanaka, who made this documentary, talked about how her parents and grandparents faced significant racism and hardships. Her father did not feel the need to prove his loyalty to Americans because he was a citizen before the bombing occurred. He left the internment camp and worked as an interpreter and trainer for the occupational forces in Hiroshima. After his discharge, her parents married during the war. They were fortunate enough to find decent jobs. Her father excelled in woodworking, and her mother worked for Bank of America as a clerk. However, many Japanese Americans were not welcomed after they were released from the camps.

Post-War Struggles and Racism

Japanese Americans who were released and returned to their homes in the Southland faced danger. There were instances of house burnings, threats of bodily harm, and abuse from groups like the Ku-Klux-Klan. It was unsafe, and they had no protection against threats and mistreatment (Ngai, 2004). The documentary discussed how Maryknoll offered a safe haven for Japanese Americans after the war. Maryknoll was a Catholic school where they taught the lower class of Japanese Americans. The school was very strict, and their goal was to be benevolent teachers of knowledge, but many Asian children were looked down upon. Japanese Americans stated that resettlement was more challenging than internment because they were either kicked out or quickly judged wherever they went. Outings were rare, and they seldom discussed the war. When the war was mentioned, there was usually deliberate silence.

Identity and Cultural Challenges

Although they were citizens before the incident, they could not change their appearance, which made it obvious they were Japanese. Many faced difficulties because some were chased home from school for standing out as Asians. People would shame them and say hurtful things, such as blaming Japanese Americans for the war, even though some had lived in the U.S. as citizens before the bombing. They lived their lives as the low middle class, and many expressed feelings of depression. These Japanese Americans felt rejected from their communities and were forced to conform to be like everyone else. If they did not have blonde hair, blue eyes, or were brunettes, they were not considered Americans. To conform meant they could not embrace their Japanese identity, although they were inherently Japanese. They had to learn and act like Americans and live their lives accordingly. Excelling in school was very important to the Japanese, creating tremendous pressure because the Catholic nuns who taught them expected these low-class Japanese to perform well (Kikumura-Yano, 2002).

Religious and Social Isolation

They remained isolated over the years because they did not know if they were considered white or colored during the years of segregation. Many Japanese Americans attended Black or Hispanic masses. Tanaka’s father converted to Catholicism at Maryknoll. Many men had to convert because it was demanded they become 110% Americans. After camp, many families were sent to Catholic schools, as Buddhism was not allowed. If these Japanese adhered to Buddhism, they faced distress and condemnation for not being baptized.

Resilience Amidst Hardships

Through hardships and struggles, Tanaka’s mother advised her and her sister to smile more in pictures because when people smile, the whole world smiles with them. This mindset shows the necessity of maintaining a positive outlook during difficult times. Barely more than 20 years after the end of the wartime camps, the minority continued to face prejudice and criticism. Many Japanese families struggled economically, socially, and academically because they had to fit in. Some Japanese men turned to drugs, alcohol, and joined Asian street gangs to feel a sense of belonging and cultural connection. These gangs wanted to prove their toughness and readiness to defend their Asian customs and culture. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement emerged during this time, highlighting segregation issues. Many Japanese were uncertain about their racial identity, whether they were considered colored or white. One Japanese man recounted being kicked out of the colored line for lunch because he was not black, leaving him in a conflicted position. These men endured derogatory terms such as "gook." Another Japanese man, a Vietnam War veteran, was shot and wounded, and while on triage, he was ignored because he was not recognized as American (Okihiro, 1994).

Continuing Struggles and the Fight for Recognition

When Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, Japanese Americans felt the need to prove their worth as good citizens. Many struggled with unhappiness and the inability to fit in, leading some to self-harm. Many deaths among Japanese Americans were due to repeated overdoses. Rejections, failures, and feeling inadequate for their parents, peers, or schools were the main reasons for these tragedies. Tanaka uncovers the shocking truth hidden under veils of lies; while courts might attribute Japanese American deaths to health issues, many were due to overdoses and suicides. Japanese were stereotyped and harshly treated during their internment camp experiences (Takaki, 1989).

References

Daniels, R. (1993). Prisoners Without Trial: Japanese Americans in World War II. Hill and Wang.

Kikumura-Yano, A. (2002). Encyclopedia of Japanese American History. Facts on File.

Ngai, M. M. (2004). Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America. Princeton University Press.

Okihiro, G. Y. (1994). Margins and Mainstreams: Asians in American History and Culture. University of Washington Press.

Takaki, R. (1989). Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans. Little, Brown and Company.