Karl Bendetsen conceived, drafted, and processed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the mass removal of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. Decades later, he denied responsibility while lying about his own identity.
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Artist Miné Ōkubo created more than 2,000 sketches while incarcerated during World War II. Her memoir, Citizen 13660, became one of the most important firsthand accounts of the Japanese American incarceration.
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Signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944, the GI Bill helped thousands of Japanese American veterans attend college, build careers, and rebuild their lives after incarceration and World War II.
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They were called the Gannenmono, the “people of the first year.” They came seeking a better life in Hawaiʻi. Instead, many encountered broken promises, brutal working conditions, and a labor system that punished workers for trying to leave.
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The Battle of Saipan was fought with more than rifles and artillery. Japanese American MIS soldiers used their understanding of Japanese language and culture to save lives and gather vital intelligence.
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In 1954, the INS launched Operation Wetback to deport undocumented immigrants. Legal residents and U.S. citizens were caught up in the operation as well. It remains one of the most controversial immigration operations in American history.
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California blocked him from citizenship. Then it tried to take away his right to fish. When Torao Takahashi challenged the law, his case reached the U.S. Supreme Court and became a landmark victory for civil rights.
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The Army wasn’t sure they could be trusted. A year later, commanders were calling them some of the finest soldiers they had ever seen. On June 6, 1942, 1,432 Nisei soldiers left Hawaii as the Hawaii Provisional Infantry Battalion. One week later, they became the 100th Infantry Battalion.
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They were welcome to file a claim. Compensation was another matter. Although the Evacuation Claims Act offered reimbursement for wartime property losses, many Japanese Americans recovered only a small fraction of what they had lost.
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