Educating about the Japanese Internment Camps
I went to public school from kindergarten through graduate school and was never taught about the Japanese Internment camps. I knew about their existence because of my dad’s experience in a camp. Educating our kids about this aspect of history is important and something I have not done as well as I should. To that end, I have compiled a book list and resources to help in this endeavor. I also created three sets of free printables to share with you.
Japanese Internment Camps
On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. The order allowed the military to remove any person from any area it deemed necessary. Though those of Japanese descent were not named specifically, the order paved the way for the relocation and internment of over 120,000 Japanese. About two-thirds of those put into Japanese Internment camps were American citizens. My dad was one of them.
My dad's camp experience
My dad was nine when he, his parents, and six siblings were ordered to leave their home. His dad, who was a gardener, had just purchased a new car. Because evacuees could only take what they could carry, my grandpa had to sell his car for a fraction of its cost. It had to be sold quickly since the family had about a week to get their belongs together before reporting to the assembly center.
From the assembly center in San Jose, California, the family was taken to the Santa Anita Race Track. The race track was made into a temporary holding area for evacuees until they were transferred. My dad remembers sleeping in a horse stall. From Santa Anita, my dad’s family and many others were put on a train to Heart Mountain, Wyoming.
Camp life
Ten “permanent” Japanese American internment camps, also called “relocation centers,” were built in six states. The camps were hastily built in mostly remote locations. Families slept in barracks, tar paper covering the outside. Bathrooms were located outside and meals were taken in a “mess hall.” Barbed wire surrounded the camp and armed guards were stationed in towers. No one was allowed to leave the camp without permission.
Families tried to normalize their situation. Kids went to school inside the camp, baseball leagues were formed, boy scout troops met, and dances were held. Some adults were allowed to leave the camp to work. My grandpa and one of my uncles were allowed to work in Chicago. Two of my aunts went to Tennessee and worked there. Ironically, one of my uncles went into the military. He was supposed to work as an interpreter, but couldn’t master the Japanese language well enough for that job.
Release from camp
Beginning in January, 1945, Japanese Internees were allowed to return to their homes. Many faced difficulties and hostilities from neighbors. Signs that read “We don’t serve Japs here” were put in certain establishments. Some came home to find that belongings left behind were gone.
Thankfully, my dad does not remember any hostility directed toward him nor his family when they returned to San Jose. The family was able to stay and work on a farm, owned by the Zanker family. Eventually, my grandpa became a gardener again and my grandma was a housekeeper.
Reparations for Japanese American Internees
34 years after it was signed, Executive Order 9066 was rescinded by President Gerald R. Ford on February 19, 1976. President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act on August 10, 1988. The act issued an apology to the internees by Congress, on behalf of the people of the United States. It also provided reparation payments of $20,000 to those who had been sent to camp.
75 years after the closing of the camps, California is expected to issue a formal apology for its role in the incarceration of the Japanese.
Book List and Resources with Free Printables
I made a set of three printables to go with any lesson about the Japanese American Internment camps. Each resource has three versions, one for K-2 students, one for 3rd-5th, the last for middle to high school. The ones shown below are for K-2 students, but all versions are available in the free resource library.
What would you take?
The K-2 worksheet asks kids to draw in the suitcase what they would take with them to camp. 3rd-5th graders will need to draw and write about what they would bring. Middle to high schoolers will write about what they would bring and why.
Where were the camps located?
Youngest kids will color the states where camps were located. Upper elementary students will color and write down the states they would have to travel through to get to the camp farthest from where they live. Oldest kids research what cities the camps were located in and then label them on the map.
Letters from home
The first version of the printable asks kids to decorate a post card to send to an imaginary friend in an internment camp. Older kids will be asked to write a note on the post card. The oldest students will write a letter, asking their friend questions about the camp.
10 Japanese American Internment camp books
Here are 10 books that you can add to a lesson about the camps. I chose books suitable for all age groups.
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Elementary Aged Books
The Bracelet is written from the perspective of a little girl, Emi, whose family is forced to go into an internment camp. Before she leaves, her friend gives her a bracelet to take with her to camp. Once she arrives at camp, Emi realizes she has lost the bracelet. She wonders how she will remember her friends and all that she left behind at home.
Write to Me: Letters from Japanese American Children to the Librarian they Left Behind
This is a true story of a librarian who corresponded with children imprisoned in the Poston, AZ internment camp. Over the course of the war, she received over 250 postcards and letters.
Flowers from Mariko
Mariko’s family has difficulties returning home from an internment camp. Mariko’s father gives her seeds that she cares for until they blossom, becoming a symbol of hope and perseverance.
Baseball Saved Us
This is a story of a father who starts a baseball league in an internment camp for his son. Baseball gives the players confidence and dignity.
A Place Where Sunflowers Grow
Mari has a difficult time thinking of something to draw during her art class. Living in an internment camp, she sees desert all around her. Her art teacher, parents, and a new friend help her find hope in her situation.
The Journal of Ben Uchida: Citizen 13559, Mirror Lake Internment Camp
Part of the “Dear America” series, this fictional book chronicles the journey of Ben Uchida. Ben writes about his internment experience in a diary style format. (upper elementary level)
Middle to High School
Farewell to Manzanar
This is a true story, told by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, about her family’s experience at Manzanar, an internment camp in California. Jeanne was seven years old when her family was sent there.
Dear Miss Breed:True Stories of the Japanese American Incarceration During World War II and a Librarian Who Made a Difference
Same story as “Write to Me,” but for middle school and up. The author includes letters, interviews with the children as grown-ups, pictures, and other material from that time period.
Enemy Child:The Story of Norman Mineta, a Boy Imprisoned in a Japanese Internment Camp During World War II
Mineta’s family was imprisoned at Heart Mountain, WY (the same camp as my dad’s family). Mineta went on to become the mayor of San Jose, CA, a ten-time Congressman in the US House of Representatives, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Transportation.
They Called Us Enemy
Written by George Takei (of Star Trek), this is a graphic novel of his time in an internment camp and life afterward.
More resources online
This article from Encyclopedia Britannica is clear and concise with plenty of helpful information.
Another aspect of the internment experience was the number of men from camps who volunteered to serve in the military. They would form their own regiment, the 442nd. With their motto, “Go for Broke,” they went on to become the most decorated unit of their size during World War II.
The interment is explained in this short You Tube video, along with details about the 442nd.
This video spotlights one officer of the 442nd in particular and contains interviews with members of the unit.
I hope you find these Japanese American internment camp resources useful and easy to implement in your children’s history education. It is important to teach about the past so the same mistakes are not committed in the future!