Japanese-American Wwii
During WWII, Japanese-Americans were discriminated against solely because of their Japanese ancestry. Although mistreated, despised, and even imprisoned, the Japanese-Americans overcame tremendous hardships and approximately 33,000 Japanese-Americans, both men and women, served valiantly in our Armed Forces, and nearly 800 of those having made the ultimate sacrifice. While there are numerous anecdotes, I will focus this paper on those Japanese-Americans who were part of the University of Hawaii (UH) Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) Program, those who formed the Varsity Victory Volunteers (VVV), and those who formed Hawaii 's very own 100th Infantry Battalion and the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT).
Although it is common knowledge that Americans discriminated against Asians prior to World War II, the spark of anti-Japanese sediment and hatred can be, without questioned, tied to the actions of the Empire of Japan on December 7, 1941, against Hawaii, then an American territory. A few hours before dawn, a U.S. Navy vessel spotted an unidentified submarine periscope near the entrance of Pearl Harbor. Responding immediately, the destroyer USS Ward (DD-139) and a patrol plane sank the submarine, but communicated its destruction as a matter of routine, therefore, superiors were not notified. Around dawn (approximately 6 a.m.), six Japanese carriers launched a wave of 181 planes that comprised of torpedo bombers, dive-bombers, horizontal bombers, and fighters. Nearly an hour later, an alert operator at the Army radar station at Opana spotted the first wave of the Japanese plans, but the operator 's superiors discounted the alert because they believed he had mistaken the wave of planes for an approaching group of American B-17 bombers that were due to arrive that morning. Therefore, when the Japanese simultaneously attacked the military airfields and the fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor shortly before 8 a.m., it was a complete and utter surprise.
Although it is common knowledge that Americans discriminated against Asians prior to World War II, the spark of anti-Japanese sediment and hatred can be, without questioned, tied to the actions of the Empire of Japan on December 7, 1941, against Hawaii, then an American territory. A few hours before dawn, a U.S. Navy vessel spotted an unidentified submarine periscope near the entrance of Pearl Harbor. Responding immediately, the destroyer USS Ward (DD-139) and a patrol plane sank the submarine, but communicated its destruction as a matter of routine, therefore, superiors were not notified. Around dawn (approximately 6 a.m.), six Japanese carriers launched a wave of 181 planes that comprised of torpedo bombers, dive-bombers, horizontal bombers, and fighters. Nearly an hour later, an alert operator at the Army radar station at Opana spotted the first wave of the Japanese plans, but the operator 's superiors discounted the alert because they believed he had mistaken the wave of planes for an approaching group of American B-17 bombers that were due to arrive that morning. Therefore, when the Japanese simultaneously attacked the military airfields and the fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor shortly before 8 a.m., it was a complete and utter surprise.
Citations: Hirohata, Derek K. "Rescue of the Lost Battalion." Densho.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2012. "Before the War." 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans. n.d. Web 06 Oct. 2012. http://www.100thbattalion.org/history/battalion-history/before-the-war/2/ "The Contradictions of World War II. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2012. http://www.ncdemocracy.org/book/print/1136. "WWII: The Japanese American Experience." American Veterans Center, n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2012. http://www.americanveteranscenter.org/avq/avq-issue-ii/wwii-the-japanese-american-experience/?doing_wp_cron=1346885100. "War is Declared." 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans. n.d. Web 06 Oct. 2012. http://www.100thbattalion.org/history/battalion-history/war-is-declared/