PREJUDICE and DISCRIMINATION 
The Objective:  As you read David Guterson's Snow falling on cedars and examine some of the visual materials that reveal our nation's insitutional and symbolic racism against people of Japanese ancestry during and following World War II, I hope you will more thoroughly understand how racism and race relations revolve around power differences.  Racism maintains power and privilege inequalities.  

Some Questions:  Why did the wartime internment of Japanese and Japanese Americans take place?  To what degree was race a factor in the decisions that led to Executive Order 9066?  Were those most directly involved in the decision "racists?"  Were those who benefitted from the internment "racists?"  

  • Was the evacuation and internment born of war hysteria or by racist design?
  • What are some of the effects of internment on West coast farm communities?
  • Was it legitimate and/or legal to intern "enemy aliens?"
  • Have the effects of Japanese internment proved to be a valuable history lession regarding racism?
 
    Internet Resources on Japanese Internment
  Brief history 
  Timeline 
  Chronology (San Francisco version) 
  Munson Report 
  Executive Order 9066 
  Internment Notice 

  Japanese American Internment visuals 

  Racism Following Internment 
           An Associated Press article from the Detroit News reporting personal experiences of 
           Japanese individuals during and after World War II. 
  The Decision to Evacuate Japanese from Pacific Coast, Stetson Conn 
            A thorough paper published in 1990 rev.iewing the decision to evacuate people of Japanese 
            ancestry  from the coastal region. 
  Pilgrimage to Tule Lake, July 2-5, 1998 
  Law related issues 

 
The Paper:  Guterson's book and the internet-materials become your data.  What issue emerges as most central for you?  In a 5-7 page paper, discuss what you see as the key issue associated with the evacuation and internment of people of Japanese ancestry.