On December 7, 1941, Japanese bombs rained down on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in a day which would not only, according to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, “live in infamy” (Lee 1), but also drag the United States into World War II, an international conflict that would become the hallmark event of the 1940s. This provocation was enough to pull America out of its isolationist policy and onto the global stage, but while battles were being fought overseas, the war was working permanent changes in American society and culture. The hardships of World War II united the American people on the home front, and despite efforts to halt the progression of civil rights, minority populations began to claim the American Dream for themselves, laying down many of the
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In February of 1942, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 in which: “[T]he president gave the military authority to define and take control over vulnerable areas of the country” (Brannen 1). Within the time frame of a few months, people of Japanese descent were sent to internment camps, and when one Fred Korematsu was imprisoned for refusing to comply, he appealed his case up to the Supreme Court in Korematsu v. United States, claiming a violation of his rights as an American citizen (Brannen 2). However, the court ruled against him, and he was imprisoned. Meanwhile, Hawaiian Japanese Americans formed the base of “the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, [which was] composed of Japanese American soldiers” (Lee 4). By proving their loyalty to the United States, they reinforced their claim that they were American citizens and that they deserved to be treated as such. This unit became one of the most decorated in American history, demonstrating that though they may not have had American ancestors, they were part of the American
In February of 1942, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 in which: “[T]he president gave the military authority to define and take control over vulnerable areas of the country” (Brannen 1). Within the time frame of a few months, people of Japanese descent were sent to internment camps, and when one Fred Korematsu was imprisoned for refusing to comply, he appealed his case up to the Supreme Court in Korematsu v. United States, claiming a violation of his rights as an American citizen (Brannen 2). However, the court ruled against him, and he was imprisoned. Meanwhile, Hawaiian Japanese Americans formed the base of “the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, [which was] composed of Japanese American soldiers” (Lee 4). By proving their loyalty to the United States, they reinforced their claim that they were American citizens and that they deserved to be treated as such. This unit became one of the most decorated in American history, demonstrating that though they may not have had American ancestors, they were part of the American