United States Anti-Japanese sentiment

1 united states

1.1 pre-20th century
1.2 20th century
1.3 during world war ii

1.3.1 decision drop atomic bombs


1.4 since world war ii

united states

pre-20th century

in united states, anti-japanese sentiment had beginnings before second world war. late 19th century, asian immigrants subject racial prejudice in united states. laws passed openly discriminated against asians, , japanese in particular. many of these laws stated asians not become citizens of united states , not hold basic rights, such owning land. these laws detrimental newly arrived immigrants, since many of them farmers , had little choice become migrant workers. cite formation of asiatic exclusion league start of anti-japanese movement in california.

early 20th century

young china club warning american visitors against buying japanese goods in san francisco s chinatown c. 1940

anti-japanese racism , yellow peril in california had intensified after japanese victory on russian empire in russo-japanese war. on 11 october 1906, san francisco, california board of education had passed regulation whereby children of japanese descent required attend racially segregated separate schools. @ time, japanese immigrants made approximately 1% of population of california; many of them had come under treaty in 1894 had assured free immigration japan.

the invasion of china in 1931 , annexation of manchuria roundly criticized in us. in addition, efforts citizens outraged @ japanese atrocities, such nanking massacre, led calls american economic intervention encourage japan leave china; these calls played role in shaping american foreign policy. more , more unfavorable reports of japanese actions came attention of american government, embargoes on oil , other supplies placed on japan, out of concern chinese populace , american interests in pacific. furthermore, european american population became pro-china , anti-japan, example being grass-roots campaign women stop buying silk stockings, because material procured japan through colonies.

when second sino-japanese war broke out in 1937, western public opinion decidedly pro-china, eyewitness reports western journalists on atrocities committed against chinese civilians further strengthening anti-japanese sentiments. african american sentiments quite different mainstream, organizations pacific movement of eastern world (pmew) promised equality , land distribution under japanese rule. pmew had thousands of members preparing liberation white supremacy arrival of japanese imperial army.

during world war ii

an american propaganda poster - death-trap jap.



a japanese american unfurled banner day after pearl harbor attack. man later detained nonetheless. dorothea lange photograph taken in march 1942, prior japanese american internment.

the profound cause of anti-japanese sentiment outside of asia had beginning in attack on pearl harbor. japanese attack propelled united states world war ii. americans unified attack fight against empire of japan , allies, german reich , kingdom of italy.

the surprise attack @ pearl harbor prior declaration of war presented american populace act of treachery , cowardice. following attack many non-governmental jap hunting licenses circulated around country. life magazine published article on how tell japanese chinese person shape of nose , stature of body. japanese conduct during war did little quell anti-japanese sentiment. fanning flames of outrage treatment of american , other prisoners of war (pows). military-related outrages included murder of pows, use of pows slave labor japanese industries, bataan death march, kamikaze attacks on allied ships, , atrocities committed on wake island , elsewhere.

u.s. historian james j. weingartner attributes low number of japanese in u.s. pow compounds 2 key factors: japanese reluctance surrender , widespread american conviction japanese animals or subhuman , unworthy of normal treatment accorded pows. latter reasoning supported niall ferguson, says allied troops saw japanese in same way germans regarded russians [sic] — untermenschen. weingartner believes explains fact mere 604 japanese captives alive in allied pow camps october 1944. ulrich straus, u.s. japanologist, believes front line troops intensely hated japanese military personnel , not persuaded take or protect prisoners, believed allied personnel surrendered, got no mercy japanese. allied soldiers believed japanese soldiers inclined feign surrender, in order make surprise attacks. therefore, according straus, [s]enior officers opposed taking of prisoners[,] on grounds needlessly exposed american troops risks ...

an american propaganda poster world war ii produced under works progress administration.

an estimated 112,000 120,000 japanese migrants , japanese americans west coast interned regardless of attitude or japan. held duration of war in inner us. large japanese population of hawaii not massively relocated in spite of proximity vital military areas.

a 1944 opinion poll found 13% of u.s. public in favor of extermination of japanese. daniel goldhagen wrote in book no surprise americans perpetrated , supported mass slaughters - tokyo s firebombing , nuclear incinerations - in name of saving american lives, , of giving japanese richly deserved.

decision drop atomic bombs

weingartner argues there common cause between mutilation of japanese war dead , decision bomb hiroshima , nagasaki. according weingartner both partially result of dehumanization of enemy, saying, [t]he widespread image of japanese sub-human constituted emotional context provided justification decisions resulted in death of hundreds of thousands. on second day after nagasaki bomb, truman stated: language seem understand 1 have been using bombard them. when have deal beast have treat him beast. regrettable nevertheless true .

since world war ii

in 1970s , 1980s, waning fortunes of heavy industry in united states prompted layoffs , hiring slowdowns counterpart businesses in japan making major inroads u.s. markets. more visible in automobile industry, lethargic big 3 automobile manufacturers (general motors, ford, , chrysler) watched former customers bought japanese imports honda, subaru, mazda, , nissan, consequence of 1973 oil crisis. (when japanese automakers establishing inroads usa , canada isuzu, mazda, , mitsubishi had joint partnerships big 3 manufacturer (gm, ford, , chrysler) products sold captives). anti-japanese sentiment manifested in occasional public destruction of japanese cars, , in 1982 murder of vincent chin, chinese american beaten death when mistaken japanese.

other highly symbolic deals — including sale of famous american commercial , cultural symbols such columbia records, columbia pictures, , rockefeller center building japanese firms — further fanned anti-japanese sentiment.

popular culture of period reflected american s growing distrust of japan. futuristic period pieces such future part ii , robocop 3 showed americans working precariously under japanese superiors. film blade runner showed futuristic los angeles under japanese domination (with japanese majority population , culture), perhaps reference alternate world presented in man in high castle written philip k. dick, same author on film based, in japan had won world war ii. criticism lobbied in many novels of day. author michael crichton wrote rising sun, murder mystery (later made feature film) involving japanese businessmen in u.s. likewise, in tom clancy s book, debt of honor, clancy implies japan s prosperity due unequal trading terms, , portrays japan s business leaders acting in power hungry cabal.

as argued marie thorsten, however, japanophobia mixed japanophilia during japan s peak moments of economic dominance during 1980s. fear of japan became rallying point techno-nationalism, imperative first in world in mathematics, science , other quantifiable measures of national strength necessary boost technological , economic supremacy. notorious japan-bashing took place alongside image of japan superhuman, mimicking in ways image of soviet union after launched first sputnik satellite in 1957: both events turned spotlight on american education. american bureaucrats purposely pushed analogy. in 1982, ernest boyer, former u.s. commissioner of education, publicly declared that, need sputnik re-boot american education, , maybe should japanese put toyota orbit. japan both threat , model human resource development in education , workforce, merging image of asian-americans model minority.

both animosity , super-humanizing peaked in 1980s, when term japan bashing became popular, had largely faded late 1990s. japan s waning economic fortunes in 1990s, known today lost decade, coupled upsurge in u.s. economy internet took off largely crowded anti-japanese sentiment out of popular media.