During World War II Anti-Japanese sentiment

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 .