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K-State First Book: They Called Us Enemy
This guide provides resources and material related to George Takei's They Called Us Enemy, a memoir of his family's internment during WWII.
Library Research Guide
The End of the Camps
In December of 1944, the Supreme Court Decision in Endo vs The United States, followed quickly by Proclamation 21, set a timeline for the end of the camps. By the years end in 1945 all camps would be closed except for the maximum security center at Tule Lake which would close in 1946. Below you will find transcripts of both Endo Ex Parte and Proclamation 21.
- Ex Parte Mitsuye Endo
The Court's unanimous ruling in Endo was decisive in the opening of the camps, as it both required the War Department to lift exclusion and provided political cover for such action. Having been tipped off in advance regarding the decision, the Roosevelt administration issued Public Proclamation 21 the day before the Endo ruling, rescinding the exclusion orders. Thus, on January 2, 1945, two weeks after the decision, the War Department formally lifted the exclusion of Japanese Americans from the West Coast. The ruling made it possible for the WRA to announce that the camps (with the exception of the "segregation center" at Tule Lake) would be shut down over the course of that year.
- Public Proclamation 21
December 17, 1944: Public Proclamation No. 21 is issued by the Western Defense Command. The proclamation lifts the West Coast exclusion orders and restores the right of Japanese Americans to return to their former communities. The proclamation is effective January 2, 1945.
Where Do We Go Now?
As we saw in They Called Us Enemy, George and his family returned to Los Angeles after their incarceration at Tule Lake. For their hardships and suffering at the hand of a racist and unjust government policy, they were granted a mere $20 and a bus ticket. How would you feel were you to find yourself if such a situation? Where would you go?
- The Return of Japanese Americans to the West Coast in 1945Although former incarcerees were allowed to return to the West Coast, the arrival of returnees was slow at first. Prior to the war, approximately 36,000 Japanese Americans resided in Los Angeles County. Yet, fewer than 300 had returned to the formerly restricted territory a month after it had reopened. By August, the number was up to approximately 2,000 and was projected to increase to 3,000 by the end of the year.
- Rebuilding A CommunityFor the Issei, the years of internment represented an unmitigated disaster. During the war, they lost their hard-earned homes, businesses, and farms, along with the status and sense of achievement that these assets had brought them. it was not until the 1980s that they received official acknowledgement of the injustice that had been done them. The Nisei, similarly, had to deal with the disruption of the community that they had grown up in, and with the uncertainty of the post-internment era. At the same time, however, they had to cope with their new position as the leaders of the Japanese American community during a time of tremendous change, as well as with their role as the parents of the Sansei—the third generation of Japanese Americans.
- For Japanese-Americans, Housing Injustices Outlived InternmentIn 1945, thousands were released from internment camps. But they couldn’t return to the world they had left. This fantastic article from the NY Times Magazine provides an excellent narrative of many Japanese American experiences in the years after World War II
Justice Delayed and Remembrance
- H.R. 442It would take 43 years before the US Government fully acknowledged and apologized for the injustice perpetrated against Japanese Americans and Alaskan Aleuts during World War II. Click on the Link to read the full text of H.R. 442
The video below is a record of President Reagan's Remarks and signing Ceremony for the Japanese-American Internment Compensation Bill (HR442) in the OEOB in Washington DC on August 10, 1988.
- Japanese American Memorial Pilgrimages
JAPM provides a centralized resource for promoting pilgrimages and educating people about the World War II Japanese-American incarceration camps. - Days of RemembranceDays of Remembrance are annual events held in cities across the country around February 19 to observe the signing of Executive Order 9066, which authorized the incarceration of people of Japanese ancestry into United States concentration camps during World War II.
