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World War 2, Japanese internment & comics
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87 posts in this topic

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5. Post-War Resettlement

 

In December 1944 the exclusion order was rescinded and limited numbers of pre-screened internees were allowed to continue their studies in colleges and some workers were allowed to leave for jobs in the midwest and east coast. When the war was over, only some of the remaining internees left the camps initially. Some had no place to go and many of the internees felt safer in the camps since they were fearful of persecution and harassment after hearing some instances of attacks on Japanese Americans. It would be difficult to turn off the anti-Japanese sentiment after it was set to a such a high level during the war and with the memories of the war still fresh on people’s minds. [32] The last of the major camps to close was the Tule Lake camp on March 1946.

 

Upon leaving camp, evacuees received a $25 allowance and a one-way train ticket to the destination of their choice. [33] Some of the internees who still had property or businesses returned home and others without property resettled in various parts of the country and the younger Nisei (2nd generation Japanese, born in America) went back to school and assimilated into American society. The older generation who had very little had to essentially start over. The WRA provided some housing and job assistance.

 

The Japanese internment was still not widely known in America for many years after WW 2 because of wartime censorship and internees’ reluctance to speak of the topic, some due to shame or a reluctance to dredge up their unpleasant past. Japanese American Mamoru “Morrie” Kuramoto was discharged from the Army, and, according to the later recollections of his daughter, “given the choice of being interned or going to the East coast.” He heads for New York, joins the Art Students League, and eventually begins work at Timely Comics. He continues with Timely until 1957, and then returns in the late 1960s, by which time it’s called Marvel Comics. He remains there until his death in 1985.

 

Rick Parker, Marvel staff penciller and writer, remembers: ”…I remember that every December 7th, we would mercilessly tease the one Japanese co-worker we had in the Marvel Bullpen, a fellow by the name of Morrie Kuramoto. Cartoonist, Marie Severin would annually do a hilarious cartoon of Morrie engaged in some type of war-like situation and we'd all gather 'round his desk when she presented the cartoon to him and we'd all have a good laugh....everyone, that is, except Morrie, who managed a tight-lipped smile or took a long drag on the Chesterfield King that hung permanently from his lips, making him look like some character in a B movie. One year, though, when Marie had him piloting a plane and dropping bombs on the Empire State Building, he just couldn't take it anymore. That was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. This time instead of bombs exploding, or peals of laughter bursting forth from the assembled multitude, it was Morrie who exploded. He really let us have it. We learned a lot that day. We learned that following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, as a young man, Morrie and his parents and sister were rounded up by the U.S. government and locked up in a prison camp in Arizona. We learned that his family's house and property were confiscated. And this was all done to protect them from possible repercussions to the attack on Pearl Harbor--or in case they were thinking of sabotage. Morrie was born in the U.S.A. He was an American citizen. Morrie did manage to escape from the camp by serving honorably with the United States Military in WWII. We learned that there is often more to that co-worker sitting quietly in the corner doing his job, than we thought. We also learned that freedom is not something we can take for granted, even in America. Morrie had a heart attack and died on the subway on his way to work one morning. I heard it said that his old black raincoat hung in the closet in the back of the Marvel Bullpen for many years after he died. I wonder if the person who eventually took it out and disposed of it realized to what kind of person it had belonged”. [34]

 

Kuramoto was born in Tulare California in 1920, worked in Marvel’s production department and was officially a letterer. More memories of Kuramoto can be found in Jim Shooter’s blog here.

http://www.jimshooter.com/2011/12/man-who-flew-35-kamikaze-missions.html

 

timely%2040s_zpsyau1gl6h.jpg

Timely office photo late 1940s. Morrie Kuramoto in center.

 

Notes

32 After Internment: Seattle’s Debate Over Japanese Americans’ Right to Return Home

http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/after_internment.htm

33 Commision on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, Personal Justice Denied: Report of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (Wash DC: GPO, 1982), p. 241

34 Marvel Comics: The Untold Story’s Photos

 

 

6. Redress & Compensation

 

In 1988 Congress voted to formally apologize to Japanese Americans who were driven from their homes in World War 2 and to give compensation to the surviving internees. On August 10, 1988 President Ronald Reagan signed legislation for a formal apology for the forced relocation of Japanese Americans and compensation of $20000 ($2755 in 1942 dollars) to each of the 60000 surviving internees. In 2004 the House of Representatives passed a resolution to acknowledge the signing of Executive Order 9066, acknowledge the wartime treatment of Japanese, German and Italian Americans and called for a National Day of Rememberance on February 19th. [35] Although Congress has authorized and funded commissions for studies on German American and Italian American internment during World War 2, no formal apology or compensation has been approved so far.

 

Despite the ordeal of great injustice, the Issei and Nisei had great tolerance, patience, resilience and perserverance to rebuild their lives. The Japanese American internment has been widely documented and I’ve only mentioned only a small part of the story but many people in America are still unaware or misinformed about this history.

 

“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.

George Santayana, philosopher

 

Notes

35 National Day of Remembrance: www.gaic.info/ShowPage.php?section=Legislative_Efforts&page=National_Day_of_Remembrance

 

 

Other Sources

 

Densho Encyclopedia: (recommended resource)

On-line resource about the history of the Japanese American WWII exclusion and incarceration experience

http://encyclopedia.densho.org/

 

Densho: the Japanese American Legacy Project

www.densho.org

 

Japanese American Internment Camps

www.bookmice.net/darkchilde/japan/camp.html

 

Japanese American National Museum

http://www.janm.org/

 

Calisphere: University of California’s archive of the history and culture of California

http://www.calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu/about-cs.html

 

Library of Congress

 

http://www.loc.gov/index.html

Barriers and Passes, War Relocation Authority color film of relocation centers ca. 1945

http://archive.org/details/gov.archives.arc.39227

 

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February 19th is a National Day of Remembrance to acknowledge the wartime treatment of Japanese, German and Italian Americans in WW2.

Here are a few more Japanese internment photos by Toyo Miyatake, a professional photographer from Los Angeles who was interned at the Manzanar camp.

Toyo Miyatake and his family in Manzanar by Ansel Adams

miyatake%20family_zpsujort76w.jpg

 

Cameras were one of the banned items in camps but at great risk to himself and family, he smuggled in a lens and shutter because he wanted to document real life in the camps.

This is a replica of Miyatake’s camera with a camera body disguised as a wooden lunch box.

miyatake%20camera_zps8nl9leie.jpg

 

Because Miyatake had a good reputation and was well liked in the community, he had some help in smuggling in photography equipment and supplies into camp.

He secretly took many pictures at dusk or dawn and one of his most reproduced pictures is of 3 boys at a fence in Manzanar.

This posed picture by Miyatake captures the feelings of many internees of unfair incarceration, a desire for freedom and is emotionally charged since photos of guard towers were officially forbidden.

fence%20miyatake_zpszajsb76o.jpg

 

Later Miyatake’s photography was discovered but because of his good reputation among his community and from common acquaintances between him and the camp director, he was allowed to continue his photography and he became the camp photographer.

By 1944 camp restrictions were eased and pre-screened internees were able to continue their college education or work in jobs in the midwest and east.

Some internees could make short nearby trips into town or have a picnic. Even in the darkest of times there is a ray of sunshine for a little joy in life.

 

Here are a couple of pictures of some young people getting enjoyment from reading the same comic but under different circumstances.

The girl on the right is holding Superman 30 at a picnic at Bairs Creek in Manzanar taken by Miyatake.

Bairs%20Crk%20picnic%20Manzanar%2044a_zpsfhale4fw.jpg

 

Meanwhile somewhere in America, a boy is enjoying reading the same comic in 1944.

supe30%2044-1a_zpscwpwqn10.jpg

 

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jpepx78: Awesome work, are the texts yours?

 

I’d have a few stories related to italian comics of the same period but all of these require more in-depth research as there is little documentation, and I would love to arrive to write something about it – one is pretty awesome. :)

 

Did you know that Earl Norem served with the US Army more or less in the zone where I live? I would have loved to interview him, but unfortunately he died recently.

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The only comic cover that references an internment camp?

 

19greenhornet.jpg

 

Captain Midnight 23 might as well, though not sure if it's a prison camp in Japan, a prison camp for POWs, or an internment camp.

 

1620452-23_super.jpg

 

I noticed that this photo was missing and realized I had one in my bucket so to keep your thread complete... I know I probably have some others and will take a look when I get the chance. Great thread!

 

comcaptmidnight23_zpsoznrfmaw.jpg

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The only comic cover that references an internment camp?

 

19greenhornet.jpg

 

Captain Midnight 23 might as well, though not sure if it's a prison camp in Japan, a prison camp for POWs, or an internment camp.

 

1620452-23_super.jpg

 

I noticed that this photo was missing and realized I had one in my bucket so to keep your thread complete... I know I probably have some others and will take a look when I get the chance. Great thread!

 

comcaptmidnight23_zpsoznrfmaw.jpg

 

There are also at least a couple of books that had covers showing Japanese spies in the U.S. Hit 18 (cover date Dec 1941!) is one and and Thrilling 46 is another. Not sure if there are others.

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Why? V-J day is August 15, 1945 and V-E day is still in the future on May 8th. This was probably put on the newsstands late '44 / early '45.

 

Because by late 1944, the war was pretty much decided and espionage was no longer much of a problem, I wouldn't think. By then, you could have handed the Japanese blueprints to every U.S. weapon and all of the production schedules, and it wouldn't have done them any good.

 

Almost makes me wonder if that cover was originally drawn earlier in the war.

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Here's another from that same time. Pretty sure these guys weren't just out ice fishing.

Unless the Grim Reaper just really dislikes guys that are hunting and fishing without a license hm

 

wonder4.jpg

 

At least this guy has some TNT! What he would be blowing up in Alaska (if that's where the scene is) makes an interesting question, though.

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Now here's one where the Shadow is late to the party. Still fighting the Japanese in 1947.

 

shadowv74.jpeg

 

We had a thread a while back about what was the latest WW II cover. I think this one is the winner, although I don't remember its being mentioned in that thread.

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