JAPANESE INTERNMENT
The Horrifying Truth, Hidden Beneath the Lies
Propaganda
The government made it appear that Japanese-American children and citizens enjoyed the internment camps. They shared photos of laughing and happy children, like in this photo, to reflect the opportunistic and enjoyable environment that the camps were supposed to provide.
Propaganda
This picture makes it seem that the overall evacuation process was easy and almost enjoyable. The woman and the officer appear to be laughing and having a joyful process during evacuation. The government used this propaganda to make it look like evacuation was a necessary and stress-free process that was ultimately for the better for the Japanese-Americans.
Propaganda
The government used propaganda like this photo to make the internment camps seem more peaceful and americanized. This made the American people feel as though the internment camps were not a negative environment and that the evacuation order was a smart and safe decision.
Truth
In reality, the camps were a stressful environment for children. The internment camps caused many children to lose their innocence and identity. As shown in this photo a young girl is crying because she experienced so much stress and terror in the internment camps. The camps were made to look like a happy environment for children but truthfully the camps left children terrified and hopeless.
Truth
While propaganda made it seem like the evacuation was a stress-free and enjoyable process, in reality it wasn't. The evacuation process caused fear in the minds of the Japanese-Americans. Many like the man pictured, had no idea where they were going, what would happen to their businesses and homes, and how long they would be gone. All they knew was that their life would be forever changed. This fear caused stress and sorrow, and was in no way enjoyable.
Truth
The Government used propaganda to make it look like the internment camps were a peaceful and positive environment for the American citizens that were there; however, this was far from the truth. As displayed in this photo, the internment camps were far from peaceful and safe. While propaganda made it appear that the internment camps were a safe american environment, in reality the camps and the officers left the citizens fearful. Kids were being escorted by armed guards and people in general in the camps had little freedom and security. The internment camps were a very negative environment for all the Japanese-Americans there, and they created fear for even the youngest of their citizens.