Citizen Internees : A Second Look at Race and Citizenship in Japanese American Internment Camps

Through a new collection of primary documents about Japanese internment during World War II, this book enables a broader understanding of the injustice experienced by displaced people within the United States in the 20th century. • Enables readers to see―through primary documents comprising letters written by the internees and banker J. Elmer Moorish in Redwood City, CA―how Japanese-American citizens who were interned during World War II handled their financial affairs • Analyzes the interactions between Japanese Americans and Anglo-Americans during a period of widespread xenophobia and racial tension in the United States • Helps readers to better understand the important issues of citizenship and race in America during and just after World War II • Reveals new information on the day-to-day lives of Japanese Americans while residing in internment camps located in various areas of the United States Through a new collection of primary documents about Japanese internment during World War II, this book enables a broader understanding of the injustice experienced by displaced people within the United States in the 20th century.In the 1940s, Japanese and Japanese American internees of Redwood City, CA, had a dedicated ally: J. Elmer Morrish, a banker who kept their businesses alive, made sure their taxes were paid, and safeguarded their properties until after the end of World War II and the internees were finally released. What were Morrish's motivations for his tireless efforts to help the internees? How did the unjustly incarcerated deal with the loss of freedom in the camps, and how did they envision their future? And how did the internees both cooperate with the U.S. government and attempt to resist victimization?Citizen Internees: A Second Look at Race and Citizenship in Japanese American Internment Camps is an edited selection from a collection of more than 2,000 pieces of correspondence—some of which is previously unpublished—regarding the internment of Japanese and Japanese Americans from Redwood City, CA. These primary source documents reveal the experiences and emotions of a group of imprisoned people attempting to run the necessary day-to-day tasks of the lives they were forced to leave behind—as property owners, taxpayers, and proprietors. Through these letters about practical matters, readers can gain insight into the internees'changing family relations, their financial concerns, and their struggles in making decisions about an uncertain future. The book also includes essays that supply background information, analysis of the documents'contents and meaning, and historical context. Through a new collection of primary documents about Japanese internment during World War II, this book enables a broader understanding of the injustice experienced by displaced people within the United States in the 20th century. In the 1940s, Japanese and Japanese American internees of Redwood City, CA, had a dedicated J. Elmer Morrish, a banker who kept their businesses alive, made sure their taxes were paid, and safeguarded their properties until after the end of World War II and the internees were finally released. What were Morrish's motivations for his tireless efforts to help the internees? How did the unjustly incarcerated deal with the loss of freedom in the camps, and how did they envision their future? And how did the internees both cooperate with the U.S. government and attempt to resist victimization? Citizen A Second Look at Race and Citizenship in Japanese American Internment Camps is an edited selection from a collection of more than 2,000 pieces of correspondencesome of which is previously unpublishedregarding the internment of Japanese and Japanese Americans from Redwood City, CA. These primary source documents reveal the experiences and emotions of a group of imprisoned people attempting to run the necessary day-to-day tasks of the lives they were forced to leave behindas property owners, taxpayers, and proprietors. Through these letters about practical matters, readers can gain insight into the internees' changing family relations, their financial concerns, and their struggles in making decisions about an uncertain future. The book also includes essays that supply background information, analysis of the documents' contents and meaning, and historical context. Cover page 1 Halftitle page 2 Title page 4 Copyright page 5 Dedication page 6 Contents 8 Preface 10 PART 1 The Idea of the Citizen Internee 14 CHAPTER ONE Citizen Internees 16 CHAPTER TWO History of the Japanese and Anti-Japanese Sentiment in California 28 CHAPTER THREE Planning for Relocation and the Protection of Property 46 CHAPTER FOUR The Move to Tanforan 72 CHAPTER FIVE The Move to Topaz 92 CHAPTER SIX Citizenship Restored? Joining the Army, Going Home 134 PART 2 The Banker and His Documents 154 CHAPTER SEVEN What Morrish Was Doing during This Period (Transcribed Letters) 156 Original Letters with Annotations 194 Epilogue History of Morrish 276 Bibliography 280 Index 286 About the Authors 292