"Because war is hell." This was said to a serving nisei[2nd generation] G.I. trying to take a bottle of whiskey to his family while on leave, and getting it confiscated by the gate guard. Then asking why was given this explanation after being told no comfort for the prisoners.
"But the Japanese are protected by the same Constitution that protects us. An American citizen of Japanese descent has the same rights as any other citizen. ... If you harm them, you must first harm me. " - Ralph Carr, Colorado Governor (R) 1939-1943
@@gerhardtcustomknives the nation was in a state of war. it always compromises the constitution. you also need to understand that this policy was not enforced by the government itself. it was their reaction to a mass hysteria and eruption of xenophobia among common citizens. so essentially you have to blame the American society too besides the government which found no better option to resolve this situation
Your historical vignettes on the struggles of marginalized peoples are always hard to watch, but so important. I came for the entertaining firearms content, but hung around for the distinctly different approach to all of the subjects touched on by this channel, these vignettes especially. Keep up the important work!
Great video! My Dad’s side of the family was interned at one of those camps. It effected Him the rest of his life. Always remember history, lest we forget.
Do you know what life was like after the war ended and they were released? I know a large amount of them lost most of their possessions that had been stolen and for some time after the war there was still some anti Japanese sentiment. Also, you should listen to the song Kenji by Fort Minor. Its a story about how his grandfather was interned during the war
Yet, the all Japanese-American 442nd Infantry Regiment during WW II is the most decorated unit in U.S. military history. 21 Medals of Honor earned by the unit in total. Despite how they were treated, they proved their loyalty to America in the most extreme way, nothing but respect for these people.
There's those that served and the incamp protests to being drafted or asked for volunteering while in the camps, and the legal battles dealing with the vagaries of this injustice and racism. I hold pride filled eyes that the above Asian unit were truly badasses[even trying out a banzai charge against a German position gaming dock and surprise by the Jerry there] but I also hold the men who fought against conscription for a nation's army that also imprisoned they're families and people for no reason.
@@dragonsword7370 Let's add to the story of one of the charges that the 442nd RCT was being thrown against a determined, well prepared enemy that held the high ground and had pre plotted the approaches with artillery after they had already endured days of grueling combat in the Vosges in order to save a battalion of cut off Texans.This was after all attempts by everyone else had failed. Up rough mountain terrain, through artillery, and machine gun fire, by October 30th, the 442nd had fought it's way to those trapped GI's. 800 casualties to save 217 of their brothers. I company of 3rd Battalion started with 185 men , after that there were only eight, two in one platoon, six in another. Let's add to that the Military Intelligence Service and the Nikkei of Merrill's Marauders who not only were tasked with capturing, and interrogating prisoners as well as translating intelligence documents but fought the Japanese in commando actions. Let's add to the story the 522nd Field artillery, the field artillery of the 442nd RCT. detached from the four four two, fighting their way into Germany. Boys, some recruited from camps like Topaz, volunteering or drafted, their families still held there liberating satellite camps of Dachau. Their Americanism was proven in the landings in Italy and fighting their way up the peninsula, it was proven in places like the Vosges mountains and in breaking the Gothic line. It was proven in the simple kindness of shooting the locks off gates and giving a starving former prisoner in pin striped pajamas rations. We should be proud of these Americans.
When I used to live in Hawaii I used to belong to A co. 100/442nd Infantry. The last infantry battalion in the US Army Reserve. They were known as the "Purple Heart Battalion". The Hawaiian Japanese soldiers in that unit nicknamed the battalion as the "One Puka Puka" for the one hundred part. Puka in Hawaiian means hole. The holes describing bullet holes for the hard fighting in Italy and later in Southern France with the Texas Division with Gen. Mark Clark's 5th Army. They were the best infantrymen of the US Army. I was amazed that one of their members transferred to the 101st Airborne Division and got to fight in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. That one 100/442nd soldier was assigned to the Glider Infantry Regiment. They respected him when he got to the unit because he came from a veteran and combat hardened unit. He fought in the Bulge like a real veteran and his buddies followed him into combat from his experience. Many of the WWII veterans would stay in the Army or go back into service to fight in Korea as NCOs, Senior NCOs, and Officers in different combat divisions and proved themselves as tough as steel combat leaders. That was one of my favorite units to be with. This unit did well during their combat deployments in Iraq also adding more to their battle honors.
The really disgusting part of their history is it took until 2000 for 19 of the medal of honor winners to be awarded it due to...well I won't beat around the bush, the racist as fuck attitude of the day. Only a single one of those brave heroes was awarded the medal of honor during or in the immediate aftermath of the war, and he had died earning it. Absolutely disgraceful.
So much respect for you, as always, brother... Not only telling a story that's not easy to convey, but also pulling it together to tie things in with current events and the mindset we all should have when looking out for the most easily exploited or attacked fellow members of our society. I hope we never have to see a future InRange video about the camps in Texas right now for the border internees.
This. To my understanding, people at the time agreed that it was 'what had to be done'. We have the advantage of perspective, in seeing the injustice involved. It's harder, but profoundly important, to see injustices occurring right now.
As a Japanese I really thank you for sharing this story. Well, it was war. Almost every country did same thing during the war include in Japan. It's dark and disturbing thing but it's fact. At least, people fought for their country. Love USA Love Japan and Love guns :)
As an American, may I say that I'm glad we are peaceful allies now. My younger sister will be moving to Japan at the end of the week. Her husband is in the Navy.
Canada also incarcerated Canadians of Japanese descent. Our rights and freedom are truly fragile. Dependent upon the humanity, empathy and moral judgement of our elected officials. To learn from history is to know that it repeats. Great video Karl, please continue creating content like this.
Beat me to it. While my exposure to Japanese-Canadian culture was tangential (kendo and iaido for a few years), it was pretty apparent that wartime internment shattered communities. While people quietly went back to their lives, or what was left of them, many of the hubs and meeting places were abandoned, and the experience cast shadows over generations.
I know it's not the most viewed stuff you guys put out but I think this kinda stuff might be my favourite. You manage to be concise, but still polite and respectful without getting too impersonal or feeling removed from it.
Canada, too, was part of the internment of citizens with Japanese descent. A number were built close to my home but now they are almost forgotten and are being redeveloped as "luxury cottages". Thanks Karl
Thank you for doing these. The historical videos have always been my favorite part of Inrange. I appreciate that you do cover topics like this that aren’t the “nice” side of history. Remembering when when we got it right is important but I think it’s more important to remember when we got it wrong so we don’t do it again.
We should look to these terrible acts in out American history, and instead of saying "America is an evil place", say "we shall never again repeat these atrocities".
America is a great country. We're a great enough country to admit that it isn't perfect, that wrong has been done under that star spangled banner. We're a great enough country to ask forgiveness of those we've wronged and to do better.
Growing up in Utah, I remember this being cited as a large part Utah history and a standout part of my primary school education. Outside of Utah, though, I find that few people know even the slightest about what happened, so thank you for sharing
I grew up in San Diego, California and we were taught about the internment camps. It was an awful thing to do to fellow citizens but I don't understand why so many people seem to think it's rarely mentioned. I heard it mentioned many times growing up in San Diego.
Thank you for the video. You always share these hard topics with honest dignity. George Takei's family was in an internment camp. He was 5 years old. Not to long ago Takei did a play about his family's experiences. It was a musical on Broadway. Many Japanese men enlisted out of these camps. As with blacks they were segregated into their own unit. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The 442nd is the most decorated unit of it's type in U.S. history. Their motto "Go for broke." Ironically the Japanese Americans living in Hawaii, a third of the population at that time, were largely left alone. Relatively few of them were interned.
Many didn't. It haunted them the rest of their lives. And many were only children when they were brought there. So this was in the back of their mind, their whole life.
Took all the way until 1988 for reparations to be paid (more as a formal admittance of guilt and apology); Just $20k ($42k in today's currency) per person to 82,219 Japanese Americans who had been interned and their heirs, though it did add up to the equivalent of $3.39 billion in today's currency. When they were released from the camps in 1944 (some in 1945) they got a mere $25 and a train ticket back to the cities they'd been taken from years prior in 1942.
Honestly, if your country puts you into such a camp and treats you like they did, would you really believe that they keep their promise to give you back your stuff? Sure it is devastating to loose everything you have, but i think that most of the improsined people would have come to expecting it to happen during their time in the camps. (Which doesn't mean that they should or would have been ok with it. Just not surprised about the fact.)
My Grandfather's oldest brother was taken from Hawaii to the camp outside of Little Rock because he was single and of military age. We thought for nearly 70 years that he had died there until we found out he was released after the end of the war and left in Arkansas. Penniless, single, and with no way to contact his family in Hawaii he settled there and had a family. I never met him, but met his Son (my mom's cousin) in 2011. Nearly 70 years, separated from your family in Hawaii. Never seeing them for the rest of your life. Never knowing if anything ever happened to the rest of your family. I cannot fathom how my great-uncle must have felt when he stepped out of that POW/Concentration camp in 1946.
For those wondering, it was a POW camp he was incarcerated at outside of Little Rock alongside POWs and other single, military aged men of Japanese anscestry. From what I was told by my mom's cousin, he was officially listed as an enemy potential combatant and not allowed any contact outside of their POW camp which also housed Japanese Buddhist and Shinto monks, community leaders, and political activists/lawyers who had actively denounced the internment programs.
I have heard about it in class multiple times but was never shown any pictures at all, thanks for this video it helps me visualize it and put into perspective.
At the outbreak of the war, 3 September 1939, the UK government set up a tribunal system to classify German, Austrian and Japanese peoples living in the UK. By February 1940 nearly all the tribunals had completed their work assessing some 73,000 cases. The vast majority (some 66,000) of enemy aliens being classed as Category C. Most, but by no means all, of the 55,000 Jewish refugees who had come to the UK to escape Nazi persecution in the early and mid 1930s found themselves in Category C. Some 6,700 were classified as Category B and 569 as A. Those classified in Category A were interned in camps being set up across the UK, the largest settlement of which were on the Isle of Man. The numbers actually inturned in the UK early on were microscopic in comparison to the US. Many of those in classified as class C went on to help the allies in the war effort. The numbers interned greatly increased for a relatively brief period when it looked as though Germany would attempt a channel crossing and invade in late 1941 but they were almost all released by late 1942 as the public did not support the internments seeing it as inhuman.
Learned about this in college history class but weren’t shown photos of how the place look like today, great thanks for making the video, always loved your historical location contents
Thank you for doing this video. That last thing you said about remembering our history, good and bad, really hit me. Too many people want to forget the bad and only pretend that only the good ever happened. Videos like this are what is needed, not a revision of what cam before, but an honest record. Again, thank you for doing this video.
I think that looking at everyone's history, weather good or bad, is always important. Similar stuff was done here in Canada, and admitting it will only help prevent us from potentially doing something similar in the future.
@@leethomas556 Republicans are Americans as well. Opposed or supportive (and the vast majority were supportive, because "national defense" has ever been the magic word), all Americans share in the shame.
@@leethomas556 When did this become a Democrats VS Republicans thing? Can't we just admit that our countries made terrible mistakes that we need to learn from without pouting fingers and going "that was them, my side is perfect".
@@LVPittinsberg because that's exactly what the hell it is, Democrats here make the worst mistakes of history then we end up owning it as a whole and it becomes our history...nope, the Democrat party is not going to get away with this
I grew up near the remnants of the Heart Mountain Internment Camp near Powell, WY. I really appreciate when you do episodes like this that illuminate things like this shameful episode.
If you are ever in Southern California the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles has buildings from Heart Mountain on display. It is then a short drive into the desert to Manzanaar near Independence California, now a national historic site, where many buildings have been rebuilt.
Any time someone cites the Supreme Court as the prime arbiter of the law, all I have to do is cite Dred Scott and Japanese Internment to show how ridiculous that argument is.
As a Japanese-American, I very much appreciate you bringing this subject to more people. My family has lived in Hawaii since long before the war as well so, in the future, I would love to see a part 2 of this about what happened to the Japanese living in Hawaii. My grandparents died before I was old enough to ask them questions and the rest of my family said they didn't talk about it much anyway
Just in case you don't know here's a general rundown of the Nikkei in wartime Hawaii. To give an over simple summary nikkeijin were not mass interned in Hawaii, over volunteered for the red cross, USO, auxiliary services, wartime industry, the one puka puka, the four four two, the MIS and the 1399th Construction Battalion, did a damn fine job as fighters and builders, came home and proved themselves as damn fine Americans in peacetime as well. They played a large part post war in the civil rights movement, and changing the US's mind about a minority majority territory achieving statehood.
Thank you Karl... your tone of voice throughout the video captured how you felt there pretty well... I hope we as people can learn from our mistakes and don't repeat them...
Karl, thank you for giving us a practical look at something that was only a paragraph in our history books in school. These on-site history videos are my favourite ones on your channel. Greetings from Australia
I REALLY enjoy your history videos! Your presentation is factual and your analysis is succinct and on point. I was super surprised to see you take on Topaz and the internment camps. Such a great video. Thank you!!
The father of my old boss owned a construction company and they were contracted to build one of these camps. Let's just say my boss wasnt exactly proud of this but they definitely profited from it. Once you know that it makes stuff a bit weird.
I remember my Highschool teacher showing us photos of these interment camps, He asked the class what we thought these were, most thought they were some Concentration/work camp out in Europe. Man were they suprised to find out the truth. What was more chilling, is that this can still happen, under some executive order in the name of national security.
@Sigkim The men of the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and Military Intelligence service proved them wrong on every count and are more American than these people will ever be.
As a German I learned about our history and the crimes. The first thing we all have to do is learn about these things and then do our part in preventing them from ever happening again
Thanks for doing this. I had some west coast relatives who were sent to places like this during the war. If you get a chance, would you guys consider doing a video on the 442nd Regimental Combat team (comprised mostly of Japanese Americans) as a follow up to this video?
Looking at the darker side of your country's history takes courage because it hurts, but it is absolutely necessary. I'm German, so I should know. What you do is important. Plus you are a great storyteller, driving home the heartbreak and making your point without making a fuss or tons of special effects. I love it: please go on.
Thank you! The museum is in my wife's home town and this place is very special to me. It's hard tp believe what we're did to or fellow countrymen, but it's important to learn from our mistakes. Please keep up the good work!
Manzanar National Historic Site, off of Hwy 395 in California is another well preserved site that is worth visiting. I've been there a number of times and always leave moved by the experience.
My friend's dad and cousins and aunts and uncles were in Topaz. An awesome American family, and legendary recovery champs of the post camp American life. I owe them a lot for the influence on my ability to develop a deep,keen sense which I never would have and that helps me still and ESPECIALLY NOWADAYS! We didn't pay enough attention to this part of the History of WWII and America in high school. It was mainly about the Jew and Germany as far as we must have absorbed and recalled. So, you really NEED TO SEE THIS! TIE IT LIKE A STRING AROUND YOUR INDEX FINGER ON HAND YOU WRITE WITH AND NEVER LET IT GO! YOU MUST BE MINDFUL. READY. AND DONT EVER GO OFF INTO ANY JOURNEY THAT YOU FEAR WITHOUT COURAGE YOU HAVE TO TAKE WITH IT! AND BE READY! Your single last latest moments are not too late to fight or make your your future a better one so do not give up! It is well worth efforts NOW!
I'm late to this, but there are so many reasons I am glad for these videos. Thank you for your work... Honestly, these vignettes are the first time I've considered supporting InRange. This is amazing content, and further shows your chops as a historian. Thank you for bringing to the forefront some of the uglier parts of our history for honest evaluation.
Growing up in southern California, our family physician, and his wife, were interned at Tule Lake. He became friends with my father in medical school, and their daughter was my sister's best friend in elementary school. Never heard about all this until years later; they were focused on the future, not stewing in the past.
Sadly that seems lost on many of people. The ones that succeed remember the past but work towards the future. The ones that stagnate wallow in the past. Whether it's your personal past, or as a subgroup of the population.
Karl, your perspective on history, government leaders and humanity (human rights) is refreshing. It shows very clearly that besides a passion for weapons, you also have a passion for justice and people. What is also very refreshing is that your opinion is almost unamerican. Or, at least what we perceive in Europe as a typical American mentality. Good work.
reinout burgers I wouldn’t say Karl’s opinion is unamerican at all, in fact I would say it is very American. He just shows the truth of our history not just nice bits we are taught in school. That being said, there is not too many countries in this world that doesn’t have some very ugly scars. We have to put those scars to the light otherwise we will repeat.
@butt scratcher You're not wrong. It's just that the loud and unpleasant minority is quite often more clearly heard when you get a little distance. From here, the US seems full of toxic, divisive uneducated loons, because they make so much noise. I'm sure my country would look the same, given an equal distance.
@@jamess662 Thanks for your reply....it is not my perception, but our media/newspapers give an almost cartoonlike image of the typical American. We see the Trump addict, We see the trailer trash god-abiding citizen or the mormons. We see the poor; we see the very rich.....we see the ultra white extremist. What we do not see is the average, normaal (thus typical American). Funny thing: journalists should gives us an image of reality, but instead we are served wonderworld of bad mistakes:). So your reply and Karl's video give me a refreshing image that Americans are different then we Europeans think. And i thank you for that:)
butt scratcher you are exactly right, there are so many cultures and ethnicities in the US, it truly is a great thing. People are different here just like anywhere else, we all have different intelligence, education, upbringing.
It's somewhat crazy to think about, that my grandfather, an actual German prisoner of war (captured by the British in North Africa, then sent to the US) was treated better, than US Citizens. He had the chance to become an insurance salesman (while still a pow) and, after the war, even could send money back home to his mother and sister in Germany. He actually hoped, that they could get everything they needed from the money he sent and that he would have a little starting capital, when he returns. Well, they (his mom and sister) blew it all and he was completely broke, when he returned.
This one hits close to home for me. My family first spent several months at the Fresno Assembly Center, and from there was sent to the Jerome concentration camp in Arkansas. The camp was not complete when the prisoners arrived, and so they were put to work finishing it. Conditions at Jerome were bad. Being built in a relatively swampy area, outbreaks of influenze, malaria, and typhoid were relatively common. When Jerome was shut down the family was moved to the nearby Rohwer camp. In a strange way, I exist because the US government decided to force a bunch of US citizens into concentration camps and steal all of their property. My grandmother and grandfather first met in one of the camps, either Jerome or Rohwer. Funny enough, one of my great uncles was in the Army while all this was going on. He enlisted on December 4th, 1941. That this series of events happened is never particularly far from my mind. It absolutely could happen again.
I really enjoy your way of presenting these topics. Without a narrative except presenting the facts as is. Knowledge is power, and we must not forget the past.
It's stuff like this that I like to remind people who think bad things can't happen here. I tell them it already has. It's a travesty that it's not better known and acknowledged.
I grew up in the 1960’s and 1970’s and this was taught in several history classes. I’ve had children who were in school in the late 90’s and 2000’s. They were in advanced history classes, and this wasn’t taught and wasn’t even in the history books. Even 8n freshman university classes, this is barely mentioned. You’d think it and discrimination toward persons of German/Austrian descent during WW I and II would be taught as one of the primary cautionary tales on the 20th Century, but no mention. I guess my generation was actually more aware than given credit for.
Many Japanese-Americans left the camps before the war's end. Some found sponsors that gave them housing and work in the East or Midwest. Others volunteered or were drafted into the American armed services. Note that Japanese-Americans in Hawaii were never interned en masse because there were too many of them.
Thank you for sharing some of the additional information. They didn't intern ethnic Germans and Italians en-masse in the USA either due to similar reasons, being that they were such a sizable portion of the population.
@@Player_Review No more than a few thousand. Less than 3k, as far as I can tell. More than 100k Japanese. I'm not condoning either, just stating what seems factual to me.
@@Player_Review Well German immigration into the US dates back to the 1700's, before modern "Germany" existed as the state we know today, from 1820 to WW1 millions of Germans immigrated into the US. I haven't done the math per-say but I'd estimate the percentage of the US population during WW1-WW2 was something to the tune of damn near a 3rd of the US's population, so while many new immigrants coming to the US from Germany during WW2 (mostly Jewish-Germans, and Anti-Nazi's.) were treated with suspicion by the broader populace you can understand how the US government wasn't about to intern "everyone of Germanic ancestry, whether citizen's or otherwise" like they did with the Japanese. The world might well be full of absurdity, but that's a step too far for even this mad place. *Edit:* It should also be stated that the US considered Japan more of *IT'S* enemy, whereas Germany was more seen as an enemy of *nations of concern* to the US. In WW1 for example there was little public interest in the war in Europe (with regards to US involvement at least) and support for US entry into the war early on was mostly for the side of Central Powers, keep in mind that relations between the US and Britain-France were rather lukewarm at this point.
in 1943 most of the interned had been released, their right partially restored. so they could fight in Europe in 1944. still can imaging what were their feelings
@@mykolatkachuk7770 most internees had not been en masse released by 1943, and the last camp closed in 1946. Internees had the chance to resettled in places like Chicago, Denver, or Cleveland away from the west coast in 1943, provided they could find someone to sponsor them with a job a place to live, and a place to check in. Internees en masse were not released from camps so fighting aged young men could fight in Europe. Fighting aged Young men volunteered or were drafted from camp to serve in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Fighting aged young men volunteered from camp to serve with the Military Intelligence Service to translate intelligence documents and interrogate prisoners. Young Men of fighting age volunteered from camps for service in Merrill's Marauders to fight in the Pacific against Imperial Japanese Armed Forces, as well as to translate and interrogate. Young women volunteered from camp to serve in women's auxiliary armed forces. Parents of Americans of Japanese ancestry continued to receive their sons commendations, citations, medals, and ashes while they were still in camp. Nawa Munemori, the mother of Medal of Honor recipient Sadao Munemori received news of his death in combat by telegram while imprisoned in Manzanar concentration camp in April of 1945
the focus on the history of marginalized peoples in the US, notably the West, really separates you guys from being just another firearms channel. amazing content.
@@BrianOblivionB So you declare a permanent state of crisis and take away freedoms permanently. It's how all dictatorships do it. How long has the global war on terror been going on? What freedoms and rights have been taken to keep us safe? When will it end? Never mind, hush hush, loss of freedom is good, it builds character, we don't want to destroy our future prospects of freedom now do we?
Only people who have never had their rights forcibly stripped believe they're somehow innate. Your rights are most certainly at the mercy of agents more powerful than you.
@@andersbendsen5931 Worked just fine for the men who made this country, only reason we have a problem now is because of people with your own mentality.
Never once was this discussed during any of my college or grade school history classes. It took personal searching in my freetime to initially even find out this happened. I'm glad I can now share this video with others who never even heard about this. Thanks!
Karl, Another excellent bit of content, thank you. One more reason IR and FW stand out from the crowd. I recently covered the Korematsu case in some of my classes....I plan to show this video as a supplement. My students loved the underground RR vignettes. Cheers!
My grandparents met in one of these kind of camps. My grandfather lost everything, his house, his business, everything. Despite all of that, he still made the best of what he had and that's how he met my grandmother, who eventually gave birth to 4 healthy boys (one of them my father). Both my grandparents went through all the pains to legally immigrate to the United states, only to wrongfully be imprisoned in one of these camps. A dark part of American history for sure.
My wife's grandparents were interned. Her grandfather enlisted while interned and served in the pacific. I really appreciate this video, which highlights how easily a huge group of people lost their rights, and how we should never forget. Thanks
I've been down in that area before but never stopped by the internment camp. I will have to make a detour next time I'm down there. This part of Utah is quite the little jaunt for you guys!
hey guys, i know this might not be possible, due to the much larger video files, but is it possible to ask if maybe could up the video reso quality just a little bit? 1080 is good and all, but because of yt video compression, it makes even 1080 look kind of rough. im not saying 4k or anything that massive, but maybe 1440p (2K)? your guys' videos deserve to be seen in at least 1440p, especially ones like this because of the scenery in the background and the lighting....
Not an excuse, and just a tad bit of rationalization, but after learning of the Nihau incident I think I've gained some perspective. In short, after the attack on Pearl Harbor a Japanese pilot crash landed on the Hawaiian island of Niʻihau. Most of its inhabitants were native Hawaiians -- who also received the sharp end of the stick of the US government -- but also some Japanese American families. The pilot, Shigenori Nishikaichi, was arrested by the native Hawaiians, but escaped with the assistance of a few residents of Japanese descent. It turned into a bloody hostage situation and ended after the native Hawaiians assaulted Nishikaichi's refuge. From the USN report regarding the event ripped form Wikipedia: Navy Lieutenant C. B. Baldwin, wrote, "The fact that the two Niʻihau Japanese who had previously shown no anti-American tendencies went to the aid of the pilot when Japanese domination of the island seemed possible, indicate[s] [the] likelihood that Japanese residents previously believed loyal to the United States may aid Japan if further Japanese attacks appear successful." Japanese internment was incredibly unjust, but I can't help but wonder if the Nihau Incident had never happened if there might have been some more resistance against the process. If nothing else it was used to further justify the Federal government's position on the matter. The general racism and official propaganda didn't help either.
Except it wasn't really used to justify EO 9066. If the Niihau incident was of any concern to the US government, don't you think the territorial governor of Hawaii would have asked for mass internment in the places where actual attacks and incident had taken place, rather than opposed the idea? I would guess more that it had to do with the fact that Japanese immigrants to Hawaii and their American born children were seen as some of the original cheap imported labor, and vital not only to continued production in the sugar fields, but to the economy and war effort of the territory in general, while West Coast Nikkei were a small enough percentage of the population to round up without destroying the economy. They and their Us born children were seen as the original west coast cheap immigrant agricultural labor. Professional carrot washers that took our jobs, and somehow established thriving small farms and businesses. When you add to the fact that Yellow peril style racism has a long history on the west coast, with things such as ineligibility of naturalization of Japanese nationals until decades after the second world war, the inability to purchase land(citizenship needed, often done in natural born children's names), inability of many non white groups but especially Japanese of the option to lease land to farm in most places, attempted segregation of schools , etc. Is it any surprise that it happened on the west coast? They had an existing dislike of Japanese, and now they had wartime hysteria and state governors and generals pushing hard for internment. They had their excuse, and they used it.
@@kentomizutani5090 Thanks for the thorough reply. I think I'm inclined to side with you in that the Nihau incident probably had little effect on the decision of internment, BUT there is evidence suggesting, at the least, the US Navy considered the incident representative of what could happen if Japanese were left unattended. I think I agree after some reflection that there were too many other factors like you point out. The existing racism, war time furor, and reaction to Pearl Harbor was more than enough for the Feds to justify it to the rest of the American people.
@@kentomizutani5090 Except it was absolutely used to justify order (90)66, whether or not it was the root of the order is irrelevant to the fact that security concerns were the state justification for the order provided by the US government. So "justify" it did. PS: Hawaii wasn't a state, and with the fleet that had been resting there already in tatters Hawaii was far from a place of great concern, it's not remotely shocking that the US EO was aimed at securing the coastal states rather than the US's tropical garden-playground, irregardless of other ulterior motives at play.
@@MarikHavair it has not been shown to be used , and looks to not have been mentioned by FDR, Gen. De Witt , or any state governors in any documents or correspondence between them in the lead up to EO 9066. While the fleet at Pearl had been mauled, it was not destroyed, nor were all the facilities or the Pacific fuel stores located there. The territory of Hawaii absolutely was secured because it was deemed important throughout the war, at that time there being a fear of future attack or landing. It was not ignored as the US's tropical playground. I understand why people want to bring up the Niihau incident as the cause of EO 9066, it fits the narrative they already have, but being a popular theory in some circles does not make it true. PS: statehood was not granted to the territory of Hawaii until years after the war. The dedication and loyalty of the large ethnic asian population which included those of Japanese ancestry which remained largely uninterned contributed greatly to easing the anxiety about a state with such a large minority population.
Stunning as always, InRangeTV. History gets dark really fast the more you read... freedom can really fall from grace in dire times. Compare this deprivation of freedom to some of today's erroneous and highly mislead cries for freedom being taken away and it's just sad and grotesque.
Sorry in advance if its inappropriate, but considering your channel have some links with Finland, maybe you could ask them in a next visit to show remains of their similar WWII era internment camps for Russians? I think it would be also highly educative video. It could be a little weird experience though, as Finnish officials (unlike US President) never apologized for that and literally all the Finns I ever interacted on Reddit either totally unaware their country performed ethnic based internment in WWII, or even believe it was the right thing to do.
We're rapidly losing to age those that lived through this time when the world was at war. Hopefully we continue to go many more years without war among the larger powers of the world.
I’m a huge fan of these videos my great grandfather was detained by the FBI during WW2 just because he was born in Germany so thank you for showing these
Thank you for this episode. It is worth a lot. As a European I'm not terrible familiar with the details of US history and I'm so happy you do not sugarcoat but informs about what must be painful. It is important that we focus on the sides of our lives that is not sunshine as well as the positives. Thank you again and I hope to see more educational content of US history, good and bad.
Here in the Seattle area, you can see to this day some of the damage this caused. On Bainbridge Island, there are still Japanese farmed strawberry farms that lay fallow, no one ever came back to some of the farms. In Chinatown (International District) there are motels, hotels, and just buildings that the basements are full of furniture, household items, etc. that no one ever came back for.
“If we are in the camps for our own protection, why do the machine guns face in?”
"Because war is hell." This was said to a serving nisei[2nd generation] G.I. trying to take a bottle of whiskey to his family while on leave, and getting it confiscated by the gate guard. Then asking why was given this explanation after being told no comfort for the prisoners.
That describes Soviet Union, and my own county in old times so well.
you've just described the current state of the russian police.
I really like this quote.
InRangeTV really shines brightest when videos like this come out. Kudos to Karl.
I couldn't agree more.
Fantastic video
No moah Mudtest Bruh
My favorite ones
"But the Japanese are protected by the same Constitution that protects us. An American citizen of Japanese descent has the same rights as any other citizen. ... If you harm them, you must first harm me. " - Ralph Carr, Colorado Governor (R) 1939-1943
"f you harm them, you must first harm me" - did they harm him?
@@gerhardtcustomknives The courts failed to enforce the protections of the Constitution. Then as now.
@@gerhardtcustomknives Lysander Spooner was a whack job and would have spit on the constitution no matter how great it actually was/is.
@@gerhardtcustomknives the nation was in a state of war. it always compromises the constitution. you also need to understand that this policy was not enforced by the government itself. it was their reaction to a mass hysteria and eruption of xenophobia among common citizens. so essentially you have to blame the American society too besides the government which found no better option to resolve this situation
@@mykolatkachuk7770 General de Witt would probably like to have a word with you.
Your historical vignettes on the struggles of marginalized peoples are always hard to watch, but so important. I came for the entertaining firearms content, but hung around for the distinctly different approach to all of the subjects touched on by this channel, these vignettes especially. Keep up the important work!
Great video! My Dad’s side of the family was interned at one of those camps. It effected Him the rest of his life. Always remember history, lest we forget.
Do you know what life was like after the war ended and they were released? I know a large amount of them lost most of their possessions that had been stolen and for some time after the war there was still some anti Japanese sentiment.
Also, you should listen to the song Kenji by Fort Minor. Its a story about how his grandfather was interned during the war
My Father worked for the Post Office in Poston (AZ). Came away with great respect for the Japanese - & lifelong friendship.
Yet, the all Japanese-American 442nd Infantry Regiment during WW II is the most decorated unit in U.S. military history. 21 Medals of Honor earned by the unit in total. Despite how they were treated, they proved their loyalty to America in the most extreme way, nothing but respect for these people.
There's those that served and the incamp protests to being drafted or asked for volunteering while in the camps, and the legal battles dealing with the vagaries of this injustice and racism. I hold pride filled eyes that the above Asian unit were truly badasses[even trying out a banzai charge against a German position gaming dock and surprise by the Jerry there] but I also hold the men who fought against conscription for a nation's army that also imprisoned they're families and people for no reason.
@@dragonsword7370 Let's add to the story of one of the charges that the 442nd RCT was being thrown against a determined, well prepared enemy that held the high ground and had pre plotted the approaches with artillery after they had already endured days of grueling combat in the Vosges in order to save a battalion of cut off Texans.This was after all attempts by everyone else had failed. Up rough mountain terrain, through artillery, and machine gun fire, by October 30th, the 442nd had fought it's way to those trapped GI's. 800 casualties to save 217 of their brothers. I company of 3rd Battalion started with 185 men , after that there were only eight, two in one platoon, six in another. Let's add to that the Military Intelligence Service and the Nikkei of Merrill's Marauders who not only were tasked with capturing, and interrogating prisoners as well as translating intelligence documents but fought the Japanese in commando actions. Let's add to the story the 522nd Field artillery, the field artillery of the 442nd RCT. detached from the four four two, fighting their way into Germany. Boys, some recruited from camps like Topaz, volunteering or drafted, their families still held there liberating satellite camps of Dachau. Their Americanism was proven in the landings in Italy and fighting their way up the peninsula, it was proven in places like the Vosges mountains and in breaking the Gothic line. It was proven in the simple kindness of shooting the locks off gates and giving a starving former prisoner in pin striped pajamas rations. We should be proud of these Americans.
"The American soldier is the ideal citizen" - Drill Sgt. Donahue
When I used to live in Hawaii I used to belong to A co. 100/442nd Infantry. The last infantry battalion in the US Army Reserve. They were known as the "Purple Heart Battalion". The Hawaiian Japanese soldiers in that unit nicknamed the battalion as the "One Puka Puka" for the one hundred part. Puka in Hawaiian means hole. The holes describing bullet holes for the hard fighting in Italy and later in Southern France with the Texas Division with Gen. Mark Clark's 5th Army. They were the best infantrymen of the US Army. I was amazed that one of their members transferred to the 101st Airborne Division and got to fight in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. That one 100/442nd soldier was assigned to the Glider Infantry Regiment. They respected him when he got to the unit because he came from a veteran and combat hardened unit. He fought in the Bulge like a real veteran and his buddies followed him into combat from his experience. Many of the WWII veterans would stay in the Army or go back into service to fight in Korea as NCOs, Senior NCOs, and Officers in different combat divisions and proved themselves as tough as steel combat leaders. That was one of my favorite units to be with. This unit did well during their combat deployments in Iraq also adding more to their battle honors.
The really disgusting part of their history is it took until 2000 for 19 of the medal of honor winners to be awarded it due to...well I won't beat around the bush, the racist as fuck attitude of the day. Only a single one of those brave heroes was awarded the medal of honor during or in the immediate aftermath of the war, and he had died earning it. Absolutely disgraceful.
My grandparents were interned in the camps. Thanks for bringing attention to this part of history since it is rarely ever talked about.
same here
Yeah, these concentration camps do not fit the "we wuz the good guys, ebil nazis" narrative that allies have been pushing for almost a century now.
So much respect for you, as always, brother... Not only telling a story that's not easy to convey, but also pulling it together to tie things in with current events and the mindset we all should have when looking out for the most easily exploited or attacked fellow members of our society.
I hope we never have to see a future InRange video about the camps in Texas right now for the border internees.
This. To my understanding, people at the time agreed that it was 'what had to be done'.
We have the advantage of perspective, in seeing the injustice involved.
It's harder, but profoundly important, to see injustices occurring right now.
As a Japanese I really thank you for sharing this story.
Well, it was war. Almost every country did same thing during the war include in Japan.
It's dark and disturbing thing but it's fact. At least, people fought for their country.
Love USA Love Japan and Love guns :)
As an American, may I say that I'm glad we are peaceful allies now. My younger sister will be moving to Japan at the end of the week. Her husband is in the Navy.
@@KossoffFan I've moved to the US but welcome to Japan :) I hope they have a good time there!
Chinese exclusion and Japanese internment are important pieces of the American story that aren't discussed often enough.
Canada also incarcerated Canadians of Japanese descent. Our rights and freedom are truly fragile. Dependent upon the humanity, empathy and moral judgement of our elected officials. To learn from history is to know that it repeats.
Great video Karl, please continue creating content like this.
Beat me to it. While my exposure to Japanese-Canadian culture was tangential (kendo and iaido for a few years), it was pretty apparent that wartime internment shattered communities. While people quietly went back to their lives, or what was left of them, many of the hubs and meeting places were abandoned, and the experience cast shadows over generations.
I am not confident that blame rests solely with the elected officials.
I had no idea we did the same thing. I feel like I should have been taught about this.
Thank you Karl for covering this topic. Historical mistakes and tragedies will repeat if not remembered and taught.
The harder it is to talk about, the more it needs to be.
I know it's not the most viewed stuff you guys put out but I think this kinda stuff might be my favourite. You manage to be concise, but still polite and respectful without getting too impersonal or feeling removed from it.
Canada, too, was part of the internment of citizens with Japanese descent. A number were built close to my home but now they are almost forgotten and are being redeveloped as "luxury cottages".
Thanks Karl
indeed.....also we interned Ukrainians prior to WW2....
Thank you for doing these. The historical videos have always been my favorite part of Inrange. I appreciate that you do cover topics like this that aren’t the “nice” side of history. Remembering when when we got it right is important but I think it’s more important to remember when we got it wrong so we don’t do it again.
well said
We should look to these terrible acts in out American history, and instead of saying "America is an evil place", say "we shall never again repeat these atrocities".
Unless you're a Chinese communist, every atrocities that they commit never happened, move on. Do not talk about it.
@@darnit1944 I hope you don't think that only applies to the "Chinese Communist".
America is a great country. We're a great enough country to admit that it isn't perfect, that wrong has been done under that star spangled banner. We're a great enough country to ask forgiveness of those we've wronged and to do better.
Growing up in Utah, I remember this being cited as a large part Utah history and a standout part of my primary school education. Outside of Utah, though, I find that few people know even the slightest about what happened, so thank you for sharing
I grew up in San Diego, California and we were taught about the internment camps. It was an awful thing to do to fellow citizens but I don't understand why so many people seem to think it's rarely mentioned. I heard it mentioned many times growing up in San Diego.
Duane Degn it’s well known in California and the west coast, but the rest of the country has no idea.
Thank you for the video. You always share these hard topics with honest dignity.
George Takei's family was in an internment camp. He was 5 years old.
Not to long ago Takei did a play about his family's experiences. It was a musical on Broadway.
Many Japanese men enlisted out of these camps. As with blacks they were segregated into their own unit. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
The 442nd is the most decorated unit of it's type in U.S. history. Their motto "Go for broke."
Ironically the Japanese Americans living in Hawaii, a third of the population at that time, were largely left alone. Relatively few of them were interned.
To get out of the internment camp, and find out your home is gone, and belongings gone. I would never get over that.
Many didn't. It haunted them the rest of their lives. And many were only children when they were brought there.
So this was in the back of their mind, their whole life.
Took all the way until 1988 for reparations to be paid (more as a formal admittance of guilt and apology); Just $20k ($42k in today's currency) per person to 82,219 Japanese Americans who had been interned and their heirs, though it did add up to the equivalent of $3.39 billion in today's currency. When they were released from the camps in 1944 (some in 1945) they got a mere $25 and a train ticket back to the cities they'd been taken from years prior in 1942.
Honestly, if your country puts you into such a camp and treats you like they did, would you really believe that they keep their promise to give you back your stuff? Sure it is devastating to loose everything you have, but i think that most of the improsined people would have come to expecting it to happen during their time in the camps. (Which doesn't mean that they should or would have been ok with it. Just not surprised about the fact.)
Karl, I applaud you on your tact and honesty during your videos on this and other sensitive topics. We must never forget such atrocities.
My Grandfather's oldest brother was taken from Hawaii to the camp outside of Little Rock because he was single and of military age. We thought for nearly 70 years that he had died there until we found out he was released after the end of the war and left in Arkansas. Penniless, single, and with no way to contact his family in Hawaii he settled there and had a family. I never met him, but met his Son (my mom's cousin) in 2011. Nearly 70 years, separated from your family in Hawaii. Never seeing them for the rest of your life. Never knowing if anything ever happened to the rest of your family. I cannot fathom how my great-uncle must have felt when he stepped out of that POW/Concentration camp in 1946.
For those wondering, it was a POW camp he was incarcerated at outside of Little Rock alongside POWs and other single, military aged men of Japanese anscestry. From what I was told by my mom's cousin, he was officially listed as an enemy potential combatant and not allowed any contact outside of their POW camp which also housed Japanese Buddhist and Shinto monks, community leaders, and political activists/lawyers who had actively denounced the internment programs.
I have heard about it in class multiple times but was never shown any pictures at all, thanks for this video it helps me visualize it and put into perspective.
There are plenty of pics floating about. I "knew" about this, but never realized the scale. Upwards of 120,000 people interned. Terrifying.
I live in Utah, most people living in Utah don’t know about these camps or their forgotten history. Thanks Karl.
Great content, every Allied Nation did something similar, the British took people from Italian and German families into camps.
Fear is not the answer
At the outbreak of the war, 3 September 1939, the UK government set up a tribunal system to classify German, Austrian and Japanese peoples living in the UK. By February 1940 nearly all the tribunals had completed their work assessing some 73,000 cases. The vast majority (some 66,000) of enemy aliens being classed as Category C. Most, but by no means all, of the 55,000 Jewish refugees who had come to the UK to escape Nazi persecution in the early and mid 1930s found themselves in Category C. Some 6,700 were classified as Category B and 569 as A. Those classified in Category A were interned in camps being set up across the UK, the largest settlement of which were on the Isle of Man. The numbers actually inturned in the UK early on were microscopic in comparison to the US. Many of those in classified as class C went on to help the allies in the war effort. The numbers interned greatly increased for a relatively brief period when it looked as though Germany would attempt a channel crossing and invade in late 1941 but they were almost all released by late 1942 as the public did not support the internments seeing it as inhuman.
Outstanding video. Those who chose to forget history are doomed to repeat it's mistakes. Keep up the great work.
Learned about this in college history class but weren’t shown photos of how the place look like today, great thanks for making the video, always loved your historical location contents
Thank you for making great videos like this. It really does seem that so many people forget our history and take for granted the lives we have today.
Thank you for mixing in this kind of content
I've camped and prospected Topaz Mountain a few times but never seen the memorial, thanks for sharing.
Thank you for doing this video. That last thing you said about remembering our history, good and bad, really hit me. Too many people want to forget the bad and only pretend that only the good ever happened. Videos like this are what is needed, not a revision of what cam before, but an honest record. Again, thank you for doing this video.
I think that looking at everyone's history, weather good or bad, is always important. Similar stuff was done here in Canada, and admitting it will only help prevent us from potentially doing something similar in the future.
Democrats history. Not "our" history.
@@leethomas556 Republicans are Americans as well. Opposed or supportive (and the vast majority were supportive, because "national defense" has ever been the magic word), all Americans share in the shame.
@@leethomas556 When did this become a Democrats VS Republicans thing? Can't we just admit that our countries made terrible mistakes that we need to learn from without pouting fingers and going "that was them, my side is perfect".
@@LVPittinsberg because that's exactly what the hell it is, Democrats here make the worst mistakes of history then we end up owning it as a whole and it becomes our history...nope, the Democrat party is not going to get away with this
@@LVPittinsberg who was our president then and his affiliation? (D)...how'd they make it happen? By a presidential order...executive fiat.
Thank you for sharing an important part of history.
I grew up near the remnants of the Heart Mountain Internment Camp near Powell, WY. I really appreciate when you do episodes like this that illuminate things like this shameful episode.
Thank you Karl from a Utah native. Very well said and produced.
Well done video on a rarely talked about subject. I do kind of wish they would rebuild the camp to show what happened.
If you are ever in Southern California the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles has buildings from Heart Mountain on display. It is then a short drive into the desert to Manzanaar near Independence California, now a national historic site, where many buildings have been rebuilt.
Thank you Karl and Ian for this. I always appreciate your history vignettes and this one especially. Sobering and humbling to behold
Thank you for your kind words, however ,Ian did not have anything to do with this video, this was a collaboration between Karl and Sarah.
I'm glad you guys are making this kind of content
Any time someone cites the Supreme Court as the prime arbiter of the law, all I have to do is cite Dred Scott and Japanese Internment to show how ridiculous that argument is.
Dont forget when the supreme court ruled slavery as constitutional
As a Japanese-American, I very much appreciate you bringing this subject to more people.
My family has lived in Hawaii since long before the war as well so, in the future, I would love to see a part 2 of this about what happened to the Japanese living in Hawaii. My grandparents died before I was old enough to ask them questions and the rest of my family said they didn't talk about it much anyway
Just in case you don't know here's a general rundown of the Nikkei in wartime Hawaii. To give an over simple summary nikkeijin were not mass interned in Hawaii, over volunteered for the red cross, USO, auxiliary services, wartime industry, the one puka puka, the four four two, the MIS and the 1399th Construction Battalion, did a damn fine job as fighters and builders, came home and proved themselves as damn fine Americans in peacetime as well. They played a large part post war in the civil rights movement, and changing the US's mind about a minority majority territory achieving statehood.
Thank you Karl... your tone of voice throughout the video captured how you felt there pretty well... I hope we as people can learn from our mistakes and don't repeat them...
The house my family lived in when I was born was surplus from the camp in Rowher Arkansas.
Karl, thank you for giving us a practical look at something that was only a paragraph in our history books in school. These on-site history videos are my favourite ones on your channel. Greetings from Australia
I REALLY enjoy your history videos!
Your presentation is factual and your analysis is succinct and on point.
I was super surprised to see you take on Topaz and the internment camps.
Such a great video.
Thank you!!
The father of my old boss owned a construction company and they were contracted to build one of these camps. Let's just say my boss wasnt exactly proud of this but they definitely profited from it. Once you know that it makes stuff a bit weird.
I remember my Highschool teacher showing us photos of these interment camps, He asked the class what we thought these were, most thought they were some Concentration/work camp out in Europe. Man were they suprised to find out the truth. What was more chilling, is that this can still happen, under some executive order in the name of national security.
Happening right now in China.
@Sigkim S/He was being sarcastic bud.
@SigkimAmerican in name only perhaps, still civil rights and all that.
@Sigkim sure they're citizens, wouldn't call them American though. Just like I wouldn't be considered Japanese.
@Sigkim The men of the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and Military Intelligence service proved them wrong on every count and are more American than these people will ever be.
As a German I learned about our history and the crimes. The first thing we all have to do is learn about these things and then do our part in preventing them from ever happening again
Keep showing the bad with the good, thanks for this. Please consider a more in-depth look at the process of interment and detention.
Thanks for doing this. I had some west coast relatives who were sent to places like this during the war.
If you get a chance, would you guys consider doing a video on the 442nd Regimental Combat team (comprised mostly of Japanese Americans) as a follow up to this video?
Love these history pieces Karl. Love of history is what got me watching FW in the first place and then over to IRTV.
Looking at the darker side of your country's history takes courage because it hurts, but it is absolutely necessary. I'm German, so I should know. What you do is important. Plus you are a great storyteller, driving home the heartbreak and making your point without making a fuss or tons of special effects. I love it: please go on.
Thank you! The museum is in my wife's home town and this place is very special to me. It's hard tp believe what we're did to or fellow countrymen, but it's important to learn from our mistakes.
Please keep up the good work!
Manzanar National Historic Site, off of Hwy 395 in California is another well preserved site that is worth visiting. I've been there a number of times and always leave moved by the experience.
I applaud your approach to topics like this. Reflecting on history in this way to me is a sign of the sincerity you guys are putting into InRange.
My friend's dad and cousins and aunts and uncles were in Topaz. An awesome American family, and legendary recovery champs of the post camp American life. I owe them a lot for the influence on my ability to develop a deep,keen sense which I never would have and that helps me still and ESPECIALLY NOWADAYS!
We didn't pay enough attention to this part of the History of WWII and America in high school. It was mainly about the Jew and Germany as far as we must have absorbed and recalled. So, you really NEED TO SEE THIS!
TIE IT LIKE A STRING AROUND YOUR INDEX FINGER ON HAND YOU WRITE WITH AND NEVER LET IT GO! YOU MUST BE MINDFUL. READY. AND DONT EVER GO OFF INTO ANY JOURNEY THAT YOU FEAR WITHOUT COURAGE YOU HAVE TO TAKE WITH IT!
AND BE READY! Your single last latest moments are not too late to fight or make your your future a better one so do not give up! It is well worth efforts NOW!
I'm late to this, but there are so many reasons I am glad for these videos. Thank you for your work... Honestly, these vignettes are the first time I've considered supporting InRange. This is amazing content, and further shows your chops as a historian. Thank you for bringing to the forefront some of the uglier parts of our history for honest evaluation.
Growing up in southern California, our family physician, and his wife, were interned at Tule Lake. He became friends with my father in medical school, and their daughter was my sister's best friend in elementary school. Never heard about all this until years later; they were focused on the future, not stewing in the past.
Sadly that seems lost on many of people. The ones that succeed remember the past but work towards the future. The ones that stagnate wallow in the past. Whether it's your personal past, or as a subgroup of the population.
Some of the best content on the channel will have to visit there next time im in the southwest
Karl, your perspective on history, government leaders and humanity (human rights) is refreshing. It shows very clearly that besides a passion for weapons, you also have a passion for justice and people. What is also very refreshing is that your opinion is almost unamerican. Or, at least what we perceive in Europe as a typical American mentality. Good work.
reinout burgers I wouldn’t say Karl’s opinion is unamerican at all, in fact I would say it is very American. He just shows the truth of our history not just nice bits we are taught in school. That being said, there is not too many countries in this world that doesn’t have some very ugly scars. We have to put those scars to the light otherwise we will repeat.
@butt scratcher You're not wrong. It's just that the loud and unpleasant minority is quite often more clearly heard when you get a little distance. From here, the US seems full of toxic, divisive uneducated loons, because they make so much noise. I'm sure my country would look the same, given an equal distance.
@@jamess662 Thanks for your reply....it is not my perception, but our media/newspapers give an almost cartoonlike image of the typical American. We see the Trump addict, We see the trailer trash god-abiding citizen or the mormons. We see the poor; we see the very rich.....we see the ultra white extremist. What we do not see is the average, normaal (thus typical American). Funny thing: journalists should gives us an image of reality, but instead we are served wonderworld of bad mistakes:). So your reply and Karl's video give me a refreshing image that Americans are different then we Europeans think. And i thank you for that:)
butt scratcher you are exactly right, there are so many cultures and ethnicities in the US, it truly is a great thing. People are different here just like anywhere else, we all have different intelligence, education, upbringing.
I love you Karl, great content. keep it up. your old west vignettes are some of my favorite videos of yours. your effort is much appreciated
It's somewhat crazy to think about, that my grandfather, an actual German prisoner of war (captured by the British in North Africa, then sent to the US) was treated better, than US Citizens. He had the chance to become an insurance salesman (while still a pow) and, after the war, even could send money back home to his mother and sister in Germany. He actually hoped, that they could get everything they needed from the money he sent and that he would have a little starting capital, when he returns. Well, they (his mom and sister) blew it all and he was completely broke, when he returned.
This one hits close to home for me. My family first spent several months at the Fresno Assembly Center, and from there was sent to the Jerome concentration camp in Arkansas. The camp was not complete when the prisoners arrived, and so they were put to work finishing it. Conditions at Jerome were bad. Being built in a relatively swampy area, outbreaks of influenze, malaria, and typhoid were relatively common. When Jerome was shut down the family was moved to the nearby Rohwer camp. In a strange way, I exist because the US government decided to force a bunch of US citizens into concentration camps and steal all of their property. My grandmother and grandfather first met in one of the camps, either Jerome or Rohwer. Funny enough, one of my great uncles was in the Army while all this was going on. He enlisted on December 4th, 1941.
That this series of events happened is never particularly far from my mind. It absolutely could happen again.
I really appreciate these types of videos!
I love gun history but please continue doing stuff like this.
I really enjoy your way of presenting these topics. Without a narrative except presenting the facts as is. Knowledge is power, and we must not forget the past.
Thank you as always for so consistently putting in the effort to make videos like these. Each one of them means a lot.
It's stuff like this that I like to remind people who think bad things can't happen here. I tell them it already has. It's a travesty that it's not better known and acknowledged.
I grew up in the 1960’s and 1970’s and this was taught in several history classes. I’ve had children who were in school in the late 90’s and 2000’s. They were in advanced history classes, and this wasn’t taught and wasn’t even in the history books. Even 8n freshman university classes, this is barely mentioned. You’d think it and discrimination toward persons of German/Austrian descent during WW I and II would be taught as one of the primary cautionary tales on the 20th Century, but no mention.
I guess my generation was actually more aware than given credit for.
Many Japanese-Americans left the camps before the war's end. Some found sponsors that gave them housing and work in the East or Midwest. Others volunteered or were drafted into the American armed services. Note that Japanese-Americans in Hawaii were never interned en masse because there were too many of them.
Thank you for sharing some of the additional information. They didn't intern ethnic Germans and Italians en-masse in the USA either due to similar reasons, being that they were such a sizable portion of the population.
@@Player_Review No more than a few thousand. Less than 3k, as far as I can tell. More than 100k Japanese. I'm not condoning either, just stating what seems factual to me.
@@Player_Review Well German immigration into the US dates back to the 1700's, before modern "Germany" existed as the state we know today, from 1820 to WW1 millions of Germans immigrated into the US. I haven't done the math per-say but I'd estimate the percentage of the US population during WW1-WW2 was something to the tune of damn near a 3rd of the US's population, so while many new immigrants coming to the US from Germany during WW2 (mostly Jewish-Germans, and Anti-Nazi's.) were treated with suspicion by the broader populace you can understand how the US government wasn't about to intern "everyone of Germanic ancestry, whether citizen's or otherwise" like they did with the Japanese.
The world might well be full of absurdity, but that's a step too far for even this mad place.
*Edit:* It should also be stated that the US considered Japan more of *IT'S* enemy, whereas Germany was more seen as an enemy of *nations of concern* to the US. In WW1 for example there was little public interest in the war in Europe (with regards to US involvement at least) and support for US entry into the war early on was mostly for the side of Central Powers, keep in mind that relations between the US and Britain-France were rather lukewarm at this point.
History isnt clean. Its best if we try to remember that. Thanks Karl, that was informative.
We must always remember and take to heart our history, the bad included, in order to prevent our current actions from becoming another "tough topic."
i have never heard that concept put so well before.
nice.
Thank you for making this. It's so important to know about the history they never taught us in school
.
I just love your historical videos Karl! I hope you make more of them, because they're simply great.
Fantastic work Karl. Agree with your closing statement 100%
One of the most decorated army units to fight in Europe was compossed of soldiers of Japanese American ancestry....
in 1943 most of the interned had been released, their right partially restored. so they could fight in Europe in 1944. still can imaging what were their feelings
@@mykolatkachuk7770 most internees had not been en masse released by 1943, and the last camp closed in 1946. Internees had the chance to resettled in places like Chicago, Denver, or Cleveland away from the west coast in 1943, provided they could find someone to sponsor them with a job a place to live, and a place to check in. Internees en masse were not released from camps so fighting aged young men could fight in Europe. Fighting aged Young men volunteered or were drafted from camp to serve in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Fighting aged young men volunteered from camp to serve with the Military Intelligence Service to translate intelligence documents and interrogate prisoners. Young Men of fighting age volunteered from camps for service in Merrill's Marauders to fight in the Pacific against Imperial Japanese Armed Forces, as well as to translate and interrogate. Young women volunteered from camp to serve in women's auxiliary armed forces. Parents of Americans of Japanese ancestry continued to receive their sons commendations, citations, medals, and ashes while they were still in camp. Nawa Munemori, the mother of Medal of Honor recipient Sadao Munemori received news of his death in combat by telegram while imprisoned in Manzanar concentration camp in April of 1945
Kento Mizutani ,thank for mentioning the correct history and the service of the 442nd Regiment.
"Go For Broke"
the focus on the history of marginalized peoples in the US, notably the West, really separates you guys from being just another firearms channel. amazing content.
Ah the internment of Japanese Americans. A fine example of how you have no rights unless they're granted to you by whomever is in power.
@@BrianOblivionB So you declare a permanent state of crisis and take away freedoms permanently. It's how all dictatorships do it. How long has the global war on terror been going on? What freedoms and rights have been taken to keep us safe? When will it end?
Never mind, hush hush, loss of freedom is good, it builds character, we don't want to destroy our future prospects of freedom now do we?
Only people who have never had their rights forcibly stripped believe they're somehow innate. Your rights are most certainly at the mercy of agents more powerful than you.
@@BrianOblivionB That would just make you dead, instead of interned. I mean, come on, get real.
@@andersbendsen5931 Worked just fine for the men who made this country, only reason we have a problem now is because of people with your own mentality.
Thanks for doing this Karl. Please keep up the work of keeping the history alive.
Never once was this discussed during any of my college or grade school history classes. It took personal searching in my freetime to initially even find out this happened. I'm glad I can now share this video with others who never even heard about this. Thanks!
Karl, Another excellent bit of content, thank you. One more reason IR and FW stand out from the crowd. I recently covered the Korematsu case in some of my classes....I plan to show this video as a supplement. My students loved the underground RR vignettes.
Cheers!
My grandparents met in one of these kind of camps. My grandfather lost everything, his house, his business, everything. Despite all of that, he still made the best of what he had and that's how he met my grandmother, who eventually gave birth to 4 healthy boys (one of them my father). Both my grandparents went through all the pains to legally immigrate to the United states, only to wrongfully be imprisoned in one of these camps.
A dark part of American history for sure.
My wife's grandparents were interned. Her grandfather enlisted while interned and served in the pacific. I really appreciate this video, which highlights how easily a huge group of people lost their rights, and how we should never forget. Thanks
Well done Karl, gross part of our history, sad but true. I really enjoy these vids! 👍🏻🇺🇸
I've been down in that area before but never stopped by the internment camp. I will have to make a detour next time I'm down there. This part of Utah is quite the little jaunt for you guys!
Love your history videos. This story really needs to be remembered. Shameful times.
Reminder that "less bad than Auschwitz" isn't much of a moral standard
Great work Ian and Karl.
hey guys, i know this might not be possible, due to the much larger video files, but is it possible to ask if maybe could up the video reso quality just a little bit? 1080 is good and all, but because of yt video compression, it makes even 1080 look kind of rough. im not saying 4k or anything that massive, but maybe 1440p (2K)? your guys' videos deserve to be seen in at least 1440p, especially ones like this because of the scenery in the background and the lighting....
I love these historical segments, thank you.
Not an excuse, and just a tad bit of rationalization, but after learning of the Nihau incident I think I've gained some perspective. In short, after the attack on Pearl Harbor a Japanese pilot crash landed on the Hawaiian island of Niʻihau. Most of its inhabitants were native Hawaiians -- who also received the sharp end of the stick of the US government -- but also some Japanese American families. The pilot, Shigenori Nishikaichi, was arrested by the native Hawaiians, but escaped with the assistance of a few residents of Japanese descent. It turned into a bloody hostage situation and ended after the native Hawaiians assaulted Nishikaichi's refuge.
From the USN report regarding the event ripped form Wikipedia: Navy Lieutenant C. B. Baldwin, wrote, "The fact that the two Niʻihau Japanese who had previously shown no anti-American tendencies went to the aid of the pilot when Japanese domination of the island seemed possible, indicate[s] [the] likelihood that Japanese residents previously believed loyal to the United States may aid Japan if further Japanese attacks appear successful."
Japanese internment was incredibly unjust, but I can't help but wonder if the Nihau Incident had never happened if there might have been some more resistance against the process. If nothing else it was used to further justify the Federal government's position on the matter. The general racism and official propaganda didn't help either.
Except it wasn't really used to justify EO 9066. If the Niihau incident was of any concern to the US government, don't you think the territorial governor of Hawaii would have asked for mass internment in the places where actual attacks and incident had taken place, rather than opposed the idea? I would guess more that it had to do with the fact that Japanese immigrants to Hawaii and their American born children were seen as some of the original cheap imported labor, and vital not only to continued production in the sugar fields, but to the economy and war effort of the territory in general, while West Coast Nikkei were a small enough percentage of the population to round up without destroying the economy. They and their Us born children were seen as the original west coast cheap immigrant agricultural labor. Professional carrot washers that took our jobs, and somehow established thriving small farms and businesses. When you add to the fact that Yellow peril style racism has a long history on the west coast, with things such as ineligibility of naturalization of Japanese nationals until decades after the second world war, the inability to purchase land(citizenship needed, often done in natural born children's names), inability of many non white groups but especially Japanese of the option to lease land to farm in most places, attempted segregation of schools , etc. Is it any surprise that it happened on the west coast? They had an existing dislike of Japanese, and now they had wartime hysteria and state governors and generals pushing hard for internment. They had their excuse, and they used it.
@@kentomizutani5090 Thanks for the thorough reply. I think I'm inclined to side with you in that the Nihau incident probably had little effect on the decision of internment, BUT there is evidence suggesting, at the least, the US Navy considered the incident representative of what could happen if Japanese were left unattended.
I think I agree after some reflection that there were too many other factors like you point out. The existing racism, war time furor, and reaction to Pearl Harbor was more than enough for the Feds to justify it to the rest of the American people.
@@kentomizutani5090 Except it was absolutely used to justify order (90)66, whether or not it was the root of the order is irrelevant to the fact that security concerns were the state justification for the order provided by the US government. So "justify" it did.
PS: Hawaii wasn't a state, and with the fleet that had been resting there already in tatters Hawaii was far from a place of great concern, it's not remotely shocking that the US EO was aimed at securing the coastal states rather than the US's tropical garden-playground, irregardless of other ulterior motives at play.
@@MarikHavair it has not been shown to be used , and looks to not have been mentioned by FDR, Gen. De Witt , or any state governors in any documents or correspondence between them in the lead up to EO 9066.
While the fleet at Pearl had been mauled, it was not destroyed, nor were all the facilities or the Pacific fuel stores located there. The territory of Hawaii absolutely was secured because it was deemed important throughout the war, at that time there being a fear of future attack or landing. It was not ignored as the US's tropical playground. I understand why people want to bring up the Niihau incident as the cause of EO 9066, it fits the narrative they already have, but being a popular theory in some circles does not make it true.
PS: statehood was not granted to the territory of Hawaii until years after the war. The dedication and loyalty of the large ethnic asian population which included those of Japanese ancestry which remained largely uninterned contributed greatly to easing the anxiety about a state with such a large minority population.
Stunning as always, InRangeTV. History gets dark really fast the more you read... freedom can really fall from grace in dire times.
Compare this deprivation of freedom to some of today's erroneous and highly mislead cries for freedom being taken away and it's just sad and grotesque.
Sorry in advance if its inappropriate, but considering your channel have some links with Finland, maybe you could ask them in a next visit to show remains of their similar WWII era internment camps for Russians? I think it would be also highly educative video.
It could be a little weird experience though, as Finnish officials (unlike US President) never apologized for that and literally all the Finns I ever interacted on Reddit either totally unaware their country performed ethnic based internment in WWII, or even believe it was the right thing to do.
It's amazing that this happened less than 80 years ago.
We're rapidly losing to age those that lived through this time when the world was at war. Hopefully we continue to go many more years without war among the larger powers of the world.
I’ve passed by Manzanar in CA, numerous times. Not one of our greatest moments. Good vid
The subjects might be tough, but as was said, we have to remember them lest we repeat what happened. Thank you Karl for sharing this.
I’m a huge fan of these videos my great grandfather was detained by the FBI during WW2 just because he was born in Germany so thank you for showing these
Have they made any other videos like this? I love it.
Great stuff Karl. Best one yet.
Thank you for this episode. It is worth a lot. As a European I'm not terrible familiar with the details of US history and I'm so happy you do not sugarcoat but informs about what must be painful.
It is important that we focus on the sides of our lives that is not sunshine as well as the positives.
Thank you again and I hope to see more educational content of US history, good and bad.
The world needs to see this.
Here in the Seattle area, you can see to this day some of the damage this caused. On Bainbridge Island, there are still Japanese farmed strawberry farms that lay fallow, no one ever came back to some of the farms. In Chinatown (International District) there are motels, hotels, and just buildings that the basements are full of furniture, household items, etc. that no one ever came back for.
Thank you for bringing this to us.
I have seen but not visited the Manzanar site in.CA.
Striking sign of those times...