Japanese Immigration and Anti-Asian Sentiment in America

Japanese Immigrant and Anti-Asian Sentiment in America

The story of the unjust incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II starts long before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The Immigration Act of 1790 barred people of color from becoming naturalized citizens. Japanese immigrants, or the Issei, began entering the Territory of Hawai'i and the United States by the nineteenth century. The influx of Japanese immigrants stemmed from governmental and economic changes in Japan, rising U.S. industries such as mining and lumber, and the barring of Chinese immigrants by the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, which created a need for immigrant labor in the U.S. In 1907, the Gentleman’s Agreement between Japan and the U.S. curtailed laborer immigration while still allowing immigrants from professional sectors.

Naturalization law in the U.S. prohibited Issei from becoming legal citizens. California passed the Alien Land Law in 1913, barring all non-citizens from owning land; many Western states adopted similar laws. By 1922, the United States Supreme Court reinforced the ban on Japanese immigrants becoming citizens in Ozawa v. United States, and the Immigration Act of 1924 ended Japanese immigration to the U.S. Despite these restrictions, Issei established farms and businesses, started families, and created thriving communities.Issei established farms and businesses, started families, and created thriving communities. Issei established farms and businesses, started families, and created thriving communities.