The Other Internment Teaching the hidden story of Japanese Latin Americans during WWII By Moé yonaMine My unit on the largely unknown hoped to learn from the oral stories of the elders. history of the internment of Japanese Latin Many have since joined the Campaign for Justice, Americans began 12 years ago. I was on a bus seeking redress from the U.S. government for from Portland, Ore., to Tule Lake, Calif., site orchestrating and financing the forcible deporta- of one of the largest Japanese American incar- tion and incarceration of Japanese Latin Ameri- ceration camps during World War II. “I am from cans (JLAs) during World War II. Japan,” the elder sitting next to me said in Japa- This is the little-known background to the nese. “But I am originally from Peru.” For me, it unit that I decided to teach my 8th-grade U.S. was an honorable coincidence to find myself next history students: Even before Pearl Harbor, in to this elder. October 1941, the U.S. government initiated An elder sitting in front of us turned around plans to construct an internment camp near and said in English, “He looks very familiar.” As I translated their con- versation, it came out that they were both young boys interned at Tule Lake. “I know him!” said the Japanese American elder. “He was my friend!” Grabbing the Peruvian man’s hand and shaking it firmly, he explained that they played base- ball together often but that one day his friend just disappeared. His friend had only spoken Spanish, so he could never ask him what he was doing in the camp. He had won- dered all of these years what had happened to him. The Peruvian Japanese elder’s face beamed with joy as the two continued to shake hands, not letting go. “I am so glad you are safe,” he said. They had reunited after more than 50 years. Among those who attended the Tule Lake Pilgrimage were children and grandchildren of internees who Jordin Isip The Other Internment—Zinn Education Project 1 the Panama Canal Zone for JLAs. The United Teaching Internment States targeted JLAs it deemed security threats and pressured Latin American governments to “Are those refugee houses?” round them up and turn them over, prompting “It looks like people are being treated like Peru to engage in the mass arrest of Japanese animals.” descendents it sought to expel. Beginning in “It looks hot. Is it World War II? Are they 1942, 13 Latin American governments arrested Asian? Are they Jewish?” more than 2,300 JLAs in their countries (more “I think of boot camp and prison.” than 80 percent from Peru), including teach- My students had just walked through a photo ers, farmers, barbers, and businessmen. The gallery showing the forced removal and incar- U.S. government transported the JLAs from ceration of JLAs. Our overcrowded room (40 Panama to internment camps in the United students!) included many immigrants—Mexican, States, confiscating passports and visas. Two Vietnamese, Filipino, Pacific Islander, Russian— prisoner exchanges with Japan took place in along with Chicano/as, African Americans, and 1942 and 1943 of at least 800 JLAs—many of white students. They wrote their impressions of whom had never been to Japan. Fourteen hun- the black-and-white pictures, trying to make sense dred JLAs remained in U.S. internment camps of a story none had ever heard. until the end of the war, when the government Then I wrote on the board: deemed them “illegal aliens.” Meanwhile, the Rounded up in the sweltering yard. Peruvian government refused to readmit any Unable to endure any longer of its citizens of Japanese origin. With nowhere Standing in line to go, more than 900 Japanese Peruvians were Some collapse. deported to Japan in December 1945. Some JLA survivors are now telling their stories for This is one of 13 poems etched in the stones the first time; new information is still being of the Japanese American Historical Plaza of uncovered. Portland, which honors the internment stories of As an Okinawan, this history hit close to local Japanese Americans. I read the poem aloud my heart. In The Japanese in Latin America, I to the class and asked students to write what they learned that large waves of Okinawans migrated thought the poem was about. It brought up more to South America beginning in the late 1800s questions than answers. One student wrote: “In as the once sovereign Ryukyu island chain was trouble? Military thing? Why is she there? What brought under Japanese control. By the time did she do to deserve this?” I read a few more of WWII began, the majority of immigrants to the poems and students continued to write. Peru were Okinawan. There was also a large One Mexican American student wrote: “Like group in Brazil. Many families in Okinawa today any group working in the camp, they can’t take have relatives from South America including my the heat anymore because they’ve been working all own, but stories of their migration and their day. Standing outside ready to be transported to a lives thereafter remain largely untold. new place like the Asian people in the pictures.” My own questions turned into my inquiry Throughout the unit students wrote regularly as a history teacher. How can I teach 8th grad- in journals. This particular student often wrote ers to imagine the experiences of people from about his family’s experience as migrant workers another time in history and make connec- and connected their experiences to those of the tions to today? How can I teach them about internees. social injustice in a way that will make them When I showed the class a map of the deten- feel empowered and not cynical? How can I tion centers and incarceration camps, Ashley encourage students to visualize what a just shouted, “That’s Oregon!” I explained that many world would look like to them? people from Portland were affected and told the story of the Portland Expo Center (now used for The Other Internment—Zinn Education Project 2 large community events and cultural festivals), Reparations Role Play which was a detention center used to round up Japanese American families from our area. “You I didn’t tell too much of the history because I mean the racetracks up there in North Portland?” wanted the role play I had developed to spark one student asked. “I grew up there!” the students’ curiosity. I based my role play on My students had learned little about the incar- the format of Wayne Au’s “Addressing Redress,” ceration of local families. I explained that many which focuses on the issue of Japanese American people left Japan for the mainland United States, redress. Au’s activity appealed to me because it Hawaii, and Latin America, beginning in the late is structured so that students are empowered to 1800s, to look for work. “Like the Mexicans now,” imagine a different conversation among groups Javier said. “We come over here because there’s and a different outcome in providing justice. no work, you know. There’s no money. Our par- I introduced the role play by telling the class ents just want to do something so they can make that, since there is not enough information on this sure there’s food and stuff.” A few other Mexican history, a committee has been appointed to hold American students in the room nodded, listening hearings and to make decisions on the issue of attentively. redress: “We are going to imag- “Well, it’s like that for Fili- ine what the outcome should be. pinos, too,” Addel chimed in. “I How can I teach my You are each going to represent know my family came over for a students about social someone who has something to better life. I think it’s like that for injustice in a way that say about this.” I explained that a lot of people.” Javier looked at they would share their character’s Addel and nodded from across will make them feel experiences and different per- the room. I had never seen Javier empowered and not spectives with the committee. and Addel interact with each other cynical? When the students walked before. into class the next day, the group I introduced President Frank- assignments were written on the lin Roosevelt’s Executive Order board. Even before the bell rang, 9066, ordering the internment of Japanese Ameri- all of the students had circled their desks into cans along the West Coast in 1942. I explained groups and seated themselves. I handed each that more than 110,000 Japanese Americans were group a placard to write their group’s name. The incarcerated. But there were also Japanese Latin groups represented Japanese Latin Americans Americans. I pointed to the photo gallery and a interned in the United States who stayed here; student let out a gasp from the back of the room. those who were deported to Japan; the govern- We read excerpts from “Latin Americans,” an ments of Latin American countries that gave up appendix to Personal Justice Denied, a report by the their Japanese descendents to the United States; Commission on Wartime Relocation and Intern- Latin American vegetable growers who lobbied ment of Civilians. Students immediately jumped against the return of Japanese farmers; and con- in with questions: temporary U.S. citizens opposed to reparations. “How could they get away with that?” A final group of students were the judiciary “That’s messed up. How can people just sit committee that would have to make the ultimate there and let this happen?” decision on redress.