3. Racial Prejudice
3.1 Result of Pearl Harbour
Evidence suggests racial prejudices played a part in Truman’s decision as well. The event of Pearl Harbour on December 7th, 1941, had led many Americans to be bloodthirsty and bitter for revenge. The Japanese were not viewed as human compared to the white race as a result of racial prejudice, and many Americans agreed with these thoughts.
Although in American society there were references to Germans as “krauts,” and Italians as “tonies” or “spaghettis,” during the Second World War, the majority of ridicule was directed at Germany and Italy’s political leadership. Hitler and the Nazis, alongside Mussolini were routinely caricatured, but the German and Italian people were not. In contrast, racism against the Japanese targeted the race as a whole and showed hatred comparable with Nazi anti-Jewish propaganda. Japanese people were caricatured as having buck teeth, fangs dripping with saliva, and looking through thick glasses with squinty eyes. Their entire culture was mocked, including language, customs, and religious beliefs. Compared to Hitler, Nazis and Mussolini, the Japanese were specifically targeted by the American population. Japanese people were discriminated against as a …show more content…
The propaganda influenced American lives of all ages to hate the Japanese people and have racial prejudices against them. The refusal of Potsdam gave America the opportunity to end the war as well as the American people to feel a sense of personal satisfaction that the Japanese had gotten what many Americans believed they deserved. It is likely Truman was influenced by the public to take a large action against Japan at the end of the war in order to deliver the message that one should not drag America into a war, lest they wanted destruction. America would avenge the deaths of their fallen soldiers and
3.1 Result of Pearl Harbour
Evidence suggests racial prejudices played a part in Truman’s decision as well. The event of Pearl Harbour on December 7th, 1941, had led many Americans to be bloodthirsty and bitter for revenge. The Japanese were not viewed as human compared to the white race as a result of racial prejudice, and many Americans agreed with these thoughts.
Although in American society there were references to Germans as “krauts,” and Italians as “tonies” or “spaghettis,” during the Second World War, the majority of ridicule was directed at Germany and Italy’s political leadership. Hitler and the Nazis, alongside Mussolini were routinely caricatured, but the German and Italian people were not. In contrast, racism against the Japanese targeted the race as a whole and showed hatred comparable with Nazi anti-Jewish propaganda. Japanese people were caricatured as having buck teeth, fangs dripping with saliva, and looking through thick glasses with squinty eyes. Their entire culture was mocked, including language, customs, and religious beliefs. Compared to Hitler, Nazis and Mussolini, the Japanese were specifically targeted by the American population. Japanese people were discriminated against as a …show more content…
The propaganda influenced American lives of all ages to hate the Japanese people and have racial prejudices against them. The refusal of Potsdam gave America the opportunity to end the war as well as the American people to feel a sense of personal satisfaction that the Japanese had gotten what many Americans believed they deserved. It is likely Truman was influenced by the public to take a large action against Japan at the end of the war in order to deliver the message that one should not drag America into a war, lest they wanted destruction. America would avenge the deaths of their fallen soldiers and