The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1950-07-01

Overnight. the attack made them
suspect to their fellow Americans
as potential fifth cOlumnists and
caused the forced evacuation of
all japanese Americans from the
West Coast where many had lived
for decades. Since removal invol-
we'd some 10000 out of 10000
Japanese Americans in this coun-
try, it almost shattered their exis-
tence as a racial group.
The actual economic loss to the
Japanese-not to mention the an
guish at being uprooted within five
short days-has been estimated at
5000 900, 900. The 10000 men, women
and children, American-born and
foreign-bon alike, were not removed
because of any disloyal acts, but on
the basis OF their ancestry. It was
what Professor Rostow Of Yale Uni
versity has called "our worst war
time mistake.
Fortunately. the story did not end
in the ten drab relocation centers
in which the evacuees were concen-
trated. When Japanese Americans
we're finally permitted to volunteer
for the army, so many enlisted that
they were enabled to form their own
japanese American 442nd Regimen
tai Combat Team. When the 442nd
originally went into action in italy,
it had a complement of 5000 men.
After four months in the line. its
casualty rate was more than 300 per
cent.
The 442nd won more major de-
cOrations for time spent in combat
than any other comparable unit;
its men won more than 5000 COM
bat medals. General Vinegar Joe"
Stillwell best summarized the war
record of the japanese Americans,
"They bought an awful big hunk
of America with their blood"
These heroic achievements impress
sed America. Another factor in the
change of attitude toward the Jap
anese Americans was induced by the
wartime shortage of manpower.
Many employers took japanese AM
orleans frankly as an experiment.
particularly in the Middle West and
East. They were so satisfied with
them that they asked for more. AS
the reputation of japanese Ameri-
cans for truStWorthineSS and reli-
ability spread, large numbers left
the camps until at the end of the
war only less than half remained to
be resettled.
DIR. HachirO YuaSa, a Japanese
who is now President of the new
International Christian University,
was in the United States during
the war and travelled from camp
to camp to alleviate the plight of
his cOuntrymen. In looking back
at the situation, he has said: eva
cuatiOn was a grievOus mistake
but, i'm a deeper sense, it shows
the weakness as well as the streng-
tn of democracy. A tOtalitarian
system would have done nothing
about relocating the dispOssessed.
America understood her mistake
and corrected it,"
The value of the resettlement pro-
gram of the War Relocation Author
ity is borne out by the great progress
that the japanese American commu-
nifty has made since the wars end.
About 60 to 70 per cent returned to
their old homes in the West: the rest
resettled east of the Missouri River
New centers of japanese American
life sprang up in Chicago Mnnea-
polls. Cleveland. St Louis. Philadel-
phia New York Denver, Salt Lake
CITY and OGDEN Here thev faced
few restrictive housing covenants
and were free to accept available
Jobs. They met with a friendlier re-
ception than in the Far West where
anti-Japanese sentiment had been
embedded for long time They
made new social contacts. mixed
more freely with Americans of all
backgrounds and experienced a var
'etv Of new economic opnortunities
Before the war, for instance,
most Japanese Americans were
farmers. produce merchants. fish
ermen. gardeners and domestic
servants. simply because they were
barred in one wav or another from
other occupations. Today. ii is not
unusual to find Japanose Avert
can physicians. dentists. optnme-
trists. photographers. or CONNER
cial artists. garage owners or gro
GERS A Japanese American girl
stenoerapher in business or indus
try was an unhaard 0f rarity in
1o41: today there are plentv. Manv
are emplOyed in light industries
as sewing machine operators and
tho like.