In his speech to Congress, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was "a date which will live in infamy." The attack launched the United States fully into the two theaters of World War II. Prior to Pearl Harbor, the United States had been involved in the European war only, by supplying England and other anti-fascist countries of Europe with munitions. The attack on Pearl Harbor also launched a rash of fear about national security, especially on the West Coast.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month ended just over 12 days ago. The history of our Asian and Pacific Islander citizens is often overlooked and under taught within our history classes. One topic I personally like to tell anyone who listen about is Japanese Internment. Even though the U.S. spent most of their time in the Pacific Theater, we still emphasize the European theater and Holocaust within our U.S. History courses.Â
Although internment and the Holocaust were not identical, the skimming over of Japanese american history (more than likely because it does not paint a pretty picture of the U.S.) is a disservice to all who were interned and to Asian American history in general. If you wish to learn more about the topic and get ideas of how to incorporate it into a lesson, check the link provided.Â
