Blog #9- Japanese Internment Mermorial Essay

The attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Imperials occurred on December 7, 1941, thus beginning America’s involvement in World War II. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 into effect on February 19, 1942. This declared that military authorities could designate military areas and exclusion zones, allowing the exclusion of all Japanese and Japanese descendents from the Pacific Coast with the exception of those in internment camps.

San Jose State University’s gymnasium served as a check in point before the Japanese Americans were shipped off to the camps. Nearly 68 years later, the University is attempting to find former students who were interned during World War II. They plan on awarding the former students the degrees they would have earned if the internment had not occurred.

Ruth Asawa is a Japanese American woman who is the artist who created the Japanese Internment Memorial in downtown San Jose. She was interned as a young woman during World War II and was able to spend time developing here skills in drawing and painting with the guidance of professional artists who were also interned.



This vignette on the Japanese Internment Memorial show the Japanese born Americans, or Nisei soldiers who served the United States military during World War II as a show of loyalty. There were 33,000 Nisei soldiers who served in the war. The all Nisei 100th Infantry Battalion/442 Regimental Combat Team is the most decorated unit in United States military history.

There was a real emotion behind this spot. The Nisei were trying to show their loyalty and the reality of the situation is that no matter how many Japanese Americans fought and died for the United States they were probably still very much discriminated against because of the mass hysteria happening at that time. It showed great honor and commitment to the United States. It is also saddening to think it was one of the only ways to escape the conditions of the internment camp.



This vignette represents the formal apology for the internment 40 years later. It was issued in 1988 and reparations were given to those interned or the decedents of those interned. It is very sad that it took 40 years for the whole ordeal to be recognized as something that never should have happened. It is striking to thing about all the Japanese Americans who suffered due to the internment and saddening to think about how hard it must have been to rebuild afterwards.

The Japanese Internment is not something that gets thought about very often but it’s important to remember so it never happens again. This memorial is located in downtown San Jose and it is worth going to look at. It is moving and very informative. I was quite surprised I had never seen it before. I’m glad I got to go experience it.