Japanese-American internment camp opens forgotten history

“I have brooded about this whole episode on and off the past three decades for it is illustrative of how an entire society can somehow plunge off course,” Milton S. Eisenhower, the first director of the War Relocation Authority, later said in 1974 of the internment of Japanese-Americans.

I agree completely.

Horrible events. That being said, I do not agree with the title saying it is 'forgotten history' it is widely recognised as a wrong by the U.S., in textbooks, films, museums, monuments, memorials, and several registered historical sites. A day of remembrance is held yearly in several states, There is even an 'official' apology, signed INTO law.

Twice in elementary school and once in middle school we had some elderly Japanese Americans that had been interned during WWII come speak at assembly about their experiences (along with a holocaust survivor and several American POW veterans). Some of the most vivid memories from my youth. It's important that we're reminded regularly that humanity is capable of horrible cruelty, but also capable of forgiveness.

justbcuzisay is correct.

I agree too. It was insane. Forgotten is that German-Americans, Italian-Americans and resident aliens from axis powers were also interned. Japanese Americans have received compensation. European-Ameicans who were interned have gotten nothing. Senator Feingold was sponsoring a bill to rectify that injustice but I has gotten nowhere.

This happened in Cda too of course I remember learning about it as a teenager about 40yrs ago, compensation was finally done, of course no way to really cover for what was done to these people, but at least it was dealt with to an extent.

Wouldn't it be nice if Japan's politicians could do the same instead of going to yasukuni for "festivals"

This is not "forgotten". Amercians do not deny this history, Hollywood has made movies about the Internment...and there is currently a musical (based in George Takei's family's Internment) running in broadway. Japan could learn from from this.

Like Bush's war against Iraq, there was no evidence to justify the action, much less the imprisonment of an entire people.

In fact J. Edgar Hoover sent an eight page memo to the Attorney General, opposing FDR's plan specifically on those grounds, but Earl Warren then Attorney General of California and General De Witt prevailed, Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, and 120,000 American Citizens were rounded up and sent to concentration camps without Due Process. Most lost everything, including their homes businesses.

The fact that Germans and Italians were dealt with individually on a case by case basis highly suggests that the Japanese-Americans were interred because of the color of their skin.

American Indians are still sort of interned, but they make a lot of money with Casinos.

Others are in inner city ghettos, thus interned, and will never escape.

Americans of Japanese descent did well for themselves and still prosper to this day. They each got only $20,000 though in the 80's

Now this should be admitted to UNESCO Memory of the World, not like that lie that is Nanking.....cough cough