Seventy-five years ago, President Franklin
DelanoRoosevelt signedExecutiveOrder
9066, authorizing the forced removal of
110,000 JapaneseAmericans simply
because they looked like the enemy.
A newwar, a surprise attack onAmerican
soil, and longstandingprejudice against
immigrantswho looked and spoke differently
created a perfect stormof fear and hysteria.
Over 9,000 JapaneseAmericans inKing
Countywere taken from their homes and
imprisonedby armed soldiers, but why did
so fewof their fellowAmericans speak out
todefend them?
Journalists andpoliticians used euphemisms
like “evacuation” and “relocation” to convince
the public that JapaneseAmericanswere
being treated fairly. Newspapers, including
The Seattle Times, told readers this forced
migrationwasmerely a safety precaution—
and anyonewhoprotestedwas disloyal
or unpatriotic.
It seems shocking that this could happen in a
democracy foundedon freedom and equality,
but aswe see high-level politicians express
support for similar actions against Muslim
immigrants, manyAmericans fear a repeat
of the events ofWorldWar II.
Basedonmedia coverage at the time,
the public believed thismass removal
was justified. Today, many of us still hold
misconceptions about the JapaneseAmerican
incarceration andother injustices in our past.
What role does themedia play in shapingour
understandingof history and current events?
Howdowe tell the difference between
truth andpropaganda?We’ll explore these
questionswith a look back at articles and
photos published in The Seattle Times before,
during and immediately afterWorldWar II.
MEDIALITERACYAND JAPANESE
AMERICANWORLDWAR II
INCARCERATION
Content provided by Densho
National Archives andRecordsAdministration
Mr. andMrs. Moji, inside truck,
saygoodbye to their dogKing
on “evacuationday.” Evicted
JapaneseAmericanswere forced
to leavepets behind.
Museumof History& Industry
To learnmore about
our Newspapers In
Educationprogram, email
or call
206.652.6290
SEPARATINGFACTFROMFICTIONONTHE 75THANNIVERSARY
A list of articles referenced
in thismaterial is available
at
/
newspapers-in-education
