Japanese Immigrants’ and Refugees’ Journey to Utah       

Donna Colbert            Amber Cook            Cassie Corbridge            Kory Crockett            Margaret Fangmann

Focus Questions:

When and why did immigrants from Japan start traveling to the West?

Who where the exalted class from Japan? What did the Civil Liberties Act do for Japanese

immigrants? Why where Japanese immigrants considered the

“Enemy” after December 7,1941? How would you feel if forced to relocate?

Does fear still promote racism today? What can we do to prevent prejudice?

Edo Government

In the early 1600s, the Edo government severed commerce with the West. This was done due to fear of encroaching activities of foreign sea merchants.

This action left Japan isolated and to the disbanding of the "Samurai” (their exalted warrior class).

Emperor Meiji's government

The Meiji Emperor later took over. He cut off pensions of the disbanded “Samurai” which resulted in many men without a livelihood and the lowering of their economy.

The first of these new immigrants left on May 17, 1868, sailing in the Scioto from Yokohama for Honolulu.

A total of 148 Japanese were aboard. This included 141 men, 6 women, and two children.

They ranged from Samurai, cooks, Sake brewers, potters, printers, tailors, wood workers, and one hairdresser.

To help the economy, Emperor Meiji lifted the restrictions on immigration and trade.

Just a few years later, the Japanese immigrants expanded to further ports of Seattle and San Francisco. From these cities they fanned out to other western states such as Utah.

Like other immigrants, the Japanese intended to return to their fatherlands with enough money to buy land and to raise their status. They began their life in America by working in fields or on railroad section gangs. Unfortunately, some of the initial immigrants did return empty handed and later charged their employers with cruelty.

The old Samurai ideals governed their lives even in the West.

These Samurai ideals included: Courage and loyalty to one's people. Esteem for stylized politeness, the courteous treatment

of inferiors and exalted respect for elders. Children were taught through the bushido code that

they must do nothing that would cause others to laugh at them or bring disgrace upon their families.

The idea of holding sacred their holidays and events (such as arranged marriages).

The Anti-Japanese movement led to the San Francisco school board ordering segregation in 1906.

This action insulted Japan and eventually led to the Gentlemen's Agreement and new rules of immigration.

Japan agreed to stop issuing passports and the United States agreed to accept immediate family members of Japanese workers already in the country.

The increase of the Japanese population sparked many anti-Japanese groups.

These Japanese labors worked as many hours as they were told to in a single day for as little as fifty cents. They were forced to sleep in crowded bunkhouses with poor sanitation.

The only thing workers asked for were supplies of their native food: rice, fish, Japanese vegetables sprinkled with soy sauce, and tea.

Women were forced into prostitution or replaced house slaves if their husbands were killed or injured.

The first Japanese labors arrived to Utah in 1880’s. They were female prostitutes and men to work the railroad gangs

Japanese Associations were later formed to protect and aid these immigrants. This is when Labor agents such as Edward Daigoro Hashimoto emerged.

Hashimoto was the head contractor / labor agent and was stationed in Utah.

He imported Japanese foods, helped his fellow immigrants with governmental forms, and assisted with the sending of money back to the immigrants’ families in Japan.

With the increase of the Japanese population a Buddhist church was built in 1912 and a school in 1919.

Kabuki troupes and females would perform dramas and dances in the new communities to remind others of their roots.

Life was pretty uneventful until December 7,1941 when Japanese warplanes bombed Pearl Harbor.

This led to the infamous Executive Order 9066 and the arrival of the Army to oversee the “Enemy Alien Problem.”

Japanese Americans immediately faced prejudice, vandalism, and generations of hard work were swept away.

On Feburary19,1942, President Roosevelt signed the order to force the exclusion of all Japanese Americans from California, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona as a result of the bombing.

Immigrants were given just weeks to leave or become imprisoned.

Japanese immigrants were imprisoned and forced to camps in Topaz, Dalton Wells, and Dog Valley.

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Immigrants were released from these camps from1943 to the end of war in 1945.

A large percentage of these immigrants decided to stay and to start over in Utah. Many joining the community called “Japan Town.”

The immigrants’ rights were drastically improved over the next decade.

In 1947, Utah repealed the State’s Alien Land Law. This allowed Japanese Americans to purchase land.

Soon after, the Japanese American Citizens League moved to Utah and began lobbying for compensation for survivors.

Congress complied to these lobbyists and the Evacuation Indemnity Claims Act of 1948 gave out $38 million (of an estimated $400 million) to the victims.

In 1952, The McCarran-Walter Act also repealed the racial clauses in the naturalization law of 1790 and over 46,000 Japanese immigrants, including many elderly Issei (name used for original immigrants), became naturalized citizens.

Between 1965 and 1985 Asian immigration grew to four times the amount it had been between 1849 & 1965 due to these improvements.

Associations stopped being segregated.

Daniel Inouye was elected to the United States House of Representatives and later to the Senate.

Wataru Masaka was allowed as the first Japanese American to play in the National Basketball Association.

Ellison Onizuka became the first Asian American astronaut.

Twenty years later, the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, reported that Japanese-American internment was not justified by military necessity and that internment was based on race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.

This prompted President Reagan to sign the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 and to provide reparations of $20,000 to each victim.

Utah's Japanese residents now include third and fourth generations of Japanese Americans.

Families frequently participate in the three major festivals still celebrated in Utah's Japanese communities.

The first of these is New Year's Day. The second is Obon. The third is an annual picnic, where they have cone fights. These cones represent the great Samurai swords. Other traditional holidays, such as the doll displays for Girl's Day and flying carp-shaped kites for Boy's Day, are now more remembered than celebrated.

Utah has exhibited ethnic diversity throughout history. A variety of ethnicities can be found when viewing today’s schools and community.

Teachers teach Japanese ethnicity by reading books such as Suki’s Kimono or the American Diary of a Japanese Girl , showing movies such as The Last Samurai or Mulan, and craft projects such as paper dolls and origami.

These activities teach about Japanese culture and help curve prejudices at an early stage.

As seen in the following timeline, the Japanese Americans have consistently maintained a rich cultural life and high level of achievement despite decades of racial prejudice.

Lesson Plan

Utah State Standard and Objectives: Objective 1 -Learn about social class and ethnic

group comparisons.

Objective 2 -Learn the history of a portion of the American Family.

Objective 3-Understand basic rights stated in the constitution.

Materials: Red Paper, tape, projector, computer, and Internet access.

Background for Teachers: A basic understanding of World War II and Pearl Harbor

A background on the hardships the Japanese faced while immigrating and settling in the U.S. and during World War II

A background on the constitution and the rights it provides to American citizens

Intended Learning Outcomes: (same as objectives)

  Learn about social class and ethnic group

comparisons.

Learn about the history of a portion of the American Family.

Understand basic rights stated in the constitution.

Instructional Procedures: This lesson would fit well after talking about the

holocaust and discussing the mean of racism and prejudice.

Have the students sit down and let them know they will be participating in an activity. Explain that they all need to reach under their desks and see if any of them have something under their desk.

Those who do not have a red paper stuck under their desk will stay seated quietly at their desks.

Those with a red paper stuck under their desk will have to sit in designated area away from the rest of the students and read a short article about Japanese immigrants and why they chose to come to America. They must be quiet and not talk to the other students who found a red paper under their desk. Let them know they will be sharing things they learned from the article with the rest of the class later on.

Now instruct the students without the red paper to enjoy 10 minutes of free time. You may bring a few short games and/or give the students at their desks a treat of some kind.

After 10 minutes is up ask the students who selected the red papers about being forced to do something less enjoyable, while the others enjoyed their free time and games. Ask if this seemed unfair.

Now have a few students tell the rest of the class about some things they learned while they were quietly reading their article about Japanese immigrants. What obstacles did they face? Why did they choose to come to America? Why are the students happy to live in this country?

Hand everyone another short article about Japanese internment camps and read a few sections of it as a class.

Talk about how just like the students who were asked to leave the rest of the class and were treated unfairly, the Japanese were asked to leave their homes due to the racism and fear that existed at this time—even though the majority of them were American citizens. Just as the students who had to leave were part of the class and had the same right to be rewarded as the rest of the class. The Japanese endured this injustice for several years.

Have a discussion on the events that took place after the bombing at Pearl Harbor. Why do the students think people didn’t stand up to the government and defend the rights of the Japanese?

Ask if part of the constitution should have protected these people from enduring this hardship.

Special thanks to:

Alexander, T. G. (2012). Utah's Immigrants at the Turn of the Century. Retrieved from http://historytogo.utah.gov/ utah_chapters/statehood_and_the_progressive_era/utahsimmigrantsattheturnofthecentury.html

Arrington, L. J. History of the Japanese in Utah, typescript. Asian Studies Center, University of Utah.

Easton, S. E. & Ellington, L. (2012). Japanese Americans.Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/multi/HaLa/Japanese-Americans.html

Ohno, K. (2012). Meiji: Key Goals of the NewGovernment. Retrieved from http://www.grips.ac.jp/ teacher/oono/hp/lecture_J/lec03.htm

Reischauer, E. O., & Fairbank, J. K. (1958). East Asia: The Great Tradition . Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Smith, E. R. (1948). The “Japanese" in Utah. Utah Humanities

Taniguchi, N. T. (2004). Japanese Immigrants in Utah. Retrieved from http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/j/JAPANESE.html

Xxtuzzori (2010) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7BFUqh_aGc&feature=youtu.be

Williams, Ms. (2012, June) Hillsdale Elementary