“Plenty of Hats,” February 22, 1946
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After the 1941 Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt issued an order to Japanese-Americans: either leave behind your home, possessions, and familiar life to move into internment camps, or return to Japan.
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2020-12-01T12:08:14-08:00
Before World War II, Japanese-Americans had quickly assimilated as productive citizens of the United States, and within less than two decades were able to, on average, gain more education and earn more than average white citizens. They had come to represent the “model minority” and had gained great social regard. Yet this World War tore down everything they had built. After the 1941 Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt issued an order to Japanese-Americans: either leave behind your home, possessions, and familiar life to move into internment camps, or return to Japan. Over 100,000 Japanese-Americans elected to renounce their US citizenship and repatriate back to Japan. This image depicts one man of many.
One of the lesser discussed episodes of US history, this image documents one consequence of bringing wartime fear and distrust of the enemy back into our homeland. Most importantly, it captures the giving up of the American dream as the man sits, surrounded by all of his possessions as he awaits his ship. His joyful expression contrasts the grim uncertainty of reality. At this time, many of the people who elected to repatriate to Japan were born and raised American citizens who had never seen their homeland before. They were encouraged to leave as it often was the better option than to be left in internment camps, and because they saw the truth—the country they called home had given up on them.
The photographer of this photo has remained unknown, prompting us to reflect on this moment of history and truly view the image not through the eyes of the photographer, but through American history. This image is particularly compelling as we consider the current conflicts in our world and the caricatures deployed by either side in a given conflict. As you view this photo, take a moment to reflect on the humanity of the other side as you look at the effects of both war and governmental acts of fear-mongering.
