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How Hawai'i Protected Japanese Americans From Mass Internment and Transformed Itself

Hudson Hayes

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Published in Inclusion: How Hawai I Protected Japanese Americans From Mass Internment Transformed Itself And Changed America

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In the wake of the Pearl Harbor attacks on December 7, 1941, the United States government authorized the mass internment of Japanese Americans. Over 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, two-thirds of whom were American citizens, were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated in concentration camps.

Inclusion: How Hawai‘i Protected Japanese Americans from Mass Internment, Transformed Itself, and Changed America

by Tom Coffman

4 out of 5

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However, one state stood up to the federal government and refused to participate in the internment: Hawai'i.

Hawai'i was home to the largest population of Japanese Americans in the United States, and the community had been deeply integrated into the social and economic fabric of the islands. Many Japanese Americans served in the Territory's National Guard and had fought bravely in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

Despite the pressure from the federal government, Hawai'i's Governor Joseph Poindexter refused to sign Executive Free Download 9066, which authorized the internment of Japanese Americans. He argued that the Japanese American community in Hawai'i posed no threat to national security and that their internment would be a grave injustice.

Poindexter's stance was supported by the majority of Hawai'i's residents, who believed that the Japanese Americans were loyal citizens who deserved to be treated fairly.

As a result of Hawai'i's resistance, only a small number of Japanese Americans in the Territory were interned. Those who were interned were sent to camps on the mainland, but they were eventually released and allowed to return to Hawai'i.

Hawai'i's refusal to participate in the internment of Japanese Americans had a profound impact on the state. It helped to create a climate of racial equality in Hawai'i that has continued to this day.

The story of how Hawai'i protected Japanese Americans from mass internment is a testament to the power of resistance and the importance of standing up for what is right.

The Legacy of Hawai'i's Resistance

The legacy of Hawai'i's resistance to the internment of Japanese Americans is still felt today.

Hawai'i is now one of the most diverse states in the United States, and its people are proud of their state's history of racial equality.

The University of Hawai'i at Mānoa has established the Center for Japanese American Studies, which is dedicated to preserving the history of the Japanese American community in Hawai'i and promoting racial equality.

The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i is a vibrant community center that offers a variety of programs and services to the Japanese American community and the general public.

Hawai'i's resistance to the internment of Japanese Americans is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, it is possible to stand up for what is right.

How to Learn More

There are a number of resources available to learn more about the history of the Japanese American internment and Hawai'i's role in resisting it.

The Densho Encyclopedia is a comprehensive online encyclopedia that provides information about the Japanese American internment.

The Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles is the largest museum in the United States dedicated to preserving the history of Japanese Americans.

The Center for Japanese American Studies at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa offers a variety of programs and resources about the Japanese American community in Hawai'i.

By learning more about this history, we can help to ensure that it never happens again.

Inclusion: How Hawai‘i Protected Japanese Americans from Mass Internment, Transformed Itself, and Changed America

by Tom Coffman

4 out of 5