Excerpt of Email Interview With Kanji Sahara, January 18th, 2014
7. How does the internment of the Japanese Americans compare to the Holocaust?
"There is no comparison between the Internment Camps for the Japanese Americans and the Holocaust. The Internment Camps were “Concentration Camps” while the Holocaust Camps were “Death Camps”."
8. How did the internment of the Japanese Americans affect the future
of the United States?
"The Japanese people lost much financially because of the incarceration. I think some Japanese never recovered financially. During the war, the farmers in California made out financially. The Japanese farmers missed out on this. Before the war, Nisei graduates from college could not get jobs as engineers or school teachers. During the war, because of labor shortage, if the Nisei graduates did not have to go to camp, they could have got jobs as engineers and school teachers."
9. What do you think about the internal security act of 1950, do you
think that was right?
"The Internal Security Act of 1950 is also called the McCarran Walters Act. It allowed the Issei to become Citizens of the United States. Until then, the Issei were “aliens ineligible for citizenship”. The Internal Security Act was very important and the correct thing to do."
Do you think the internment of the Japanese Americans effected it?
" I think it was the bravery of the Nisei soldiers in the 442nd RCT fighting in Europe that made citizenship for the Issei possible."
10. About the Japanese American Soldiers, what did they do in the war?
"About 20,000 Nisei soldiers fought in Europe as part of the 442nd RGT. About 5,000 Nisei soldiers served as Japanese-English translators in the Pacific Theatre. These Nisei soldiers proved to the general public that the Japanese Americans were “real 100%” Americans."
11. About the Japanese War Veterans, can you explain to me what they did?
"The Japanese War Veterans in Hawaii turned the politics upside down. The Nisei veterans in Hawaii took control of the state government and made it into a liberal state. Before the war, Hawaii was a Republican state. After the war, the Nisei veterans mad Hawaii a Democratic state."
12. What was the JACL formed for?
"JACL was formed to look out for the civil rights of the Japanese American."
Can you explain to me what it does?
"JACL helped pass the McCarran Walters Act which allowed the Issei to become U.S. Citizens. JACL helped repeal the Alien Land Laws which had prohibited Aliens ineligible for citizenship from owning land. (I think you live in Florida which is the last state to still have such a law.) JACL helped pass the 1988 Civil Rights Act which gave those incarcerated in camp to receive redress."
"There is no comparison between the Internment Camps for the Japanese Americans and the Holocaust. The Internment Camps were “Concentration Camps” while the Holocaust Camps were “Death Camps”."
8. How did the internment of the Japanese Americans affect the future
of the United States?
"The Japanese people lost much financially because of the incarceration. I think some Japanese never recovered financially. During the war, the farmers in California made out financially. The Japanese farmers missed out on this. Before the war, Nisei graduates from college could not get jobs as engineers or school teachers. During the war, because of labor shortage, if the Nisei graduates did not have to go to camp, they could have got jobs as engineers and school teachers."
9. What do you think about the internal security act of 1950, do you
think that was right?
"The Internal Security Act of 1950 is also called the McCarran Walters Act. It allowed the Issei to become Citizens of the United States. Until then, the Issei were “aliens ineligible for citizenship”. The Internal Security Act was very important and the correct thing to do."
Do you think the internment of the Japanese Americans effected it?
" I think it was the bravery of the Nisei soldiers in the 442nd RCT fighting in Europe that made citizenship for the Issei possible."
10. About the Japanese American Soldiers, what did they do in the war?
"About 20,000 Nisei soldiers fought in Europe as part of the 442nd RGT. About 5,000 Nisei soldiers served as Japanese-English translators in the Pacific Theatre. These Nisei soldiers proved to the general public that the Japanese Americans were “real 100%” Americans."
11. About the Japanese War Veterans, can you explain to me what they did?
"The Japanese War Veterans in Hawaii turned the politics upside down. The Nisei veterans in Hawaii took control of the state government and made it into a liberal state. Before the war, Hawaii was a Republican state. After the war, the Nisei veterans mad Hawaii a Democratic state."
12. What was the JACL formed for?
"JACL was formed to look out for the civil rights of the Japanese American."
Can you explain to me what it does?
"JACL helped pass the McCarran Walters Act which allowed the Issei to become U.S. Citizens. JACL helped repeal the Alien Land Laws which had prohibited Aliens ineligible for citizenship from owning land. (I think you live in Florida which is the last state to still have such a law.) JACL helped pass the 1988 Civil Rights Act which gave those incarcerated in camp to receive redress."
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