Japanese Internment and Reparations that Followed
...ernment are discussed In the book, “No-No Boy”, written by John Okada. The main character of the book Ichiro Yamada, experienced public sympathy in the form of reparations, a potential employer offered Ichiro a higher monthly pay simply because he was a Japanese American. The definition of “Reparation” is something done or paid in expiation of a wrong. Other instances of reparation in the book are described when, Gary, left his place of work because of taunts by employees of Japanese descent who were disgusted that he had not served to defend his country. Gary later found work at a Christian Rehabilitation Center, where a sympathetic employer was more than happy to hire him regardless of him serving our country or not. This event could be seen as a reparation, because the employer wouldn’t normally hire anyone unless they are mentally ill, or have drug abuse problems. These instances are small and can never fully repay Japanese Americans for the horrible injustice of internment they faced. The 1.3 billion given to them may have came late, but along with a public apology and admitted wrong doing, it is the least our government can do. In the internment camps living conditions were harsh. The camps were overcrowded and internees were housed in tarpaper-covered barracks without plumbing or cooking facilities. The camps were freezing cold, and coal was hard to come by, so internees covered themselves in an extensive number of blankets Food was rationed out at an expense of 48 cents per internee. None of this was described in the book “No-No Boy”, the camps were not described and none of the Japanese American characters in the book ever mentioned how terrible the camps were. In fact the main character Ichiro Yamada even denies it after being asked by a former college professor whether or not he‘s disturbed about it, “ ‘Tough about the evacuation. I really hated to see it happen. I suppose you’re disturbed about it.’ ‘No sir, Not too much, that is.’ ‘Of course you are. Who wouldn’t be? Families uprooted, businesses smashed, educations interrupted. You've got a right to be sore.’ ” That dialogue not only shows the mindset of Ichiro pertaining to the internment, but highlights the mindset of people who sympathize. His professor gives the only mention in the book of the hardships Japanese Americans faced after being released from the camps with nothing. Understandably Japanese Americans as a whole wanted to move on and forget about the internment. They wanted to make the most of their situations, although because of lost businesses and interrupted educations, many of them had to start from scratch. Nevertheless, as crazy as it may sound, some Japanese openly denied it from ever happening, and were confused when it was mentioned. Japan...