Forsaken and Forgotten: The U.S. Internment of Japanese Peruvians During World War II

Abstract

The internment of Japanese Americans during World War 11 has been well discussed by scholars, but few remember or even know about the internment of Japanese Peruvians in the US. This note examines the history of the Japanese Peruvian internment, focusing on the US. government's legal justification for the program and the unjust treatment of the Japanese Peruvians under the US. immigration system after the conclusion of the war. The author considers US. legal and constitutional theories and cases relevant to the Japanese Peruvian internment and highlights the vulnerability of non-citizens in the US. during wartime. In conclusion, the author argues that the US. government should grant Japanese Latin Americans reparations equal to that mvarded to Japanese Americans. Furthermore, the US. government should acknowledge the responsibility to avoid race or nationality-based bias, whether in crafting domestic policy or acting in foreign affairs.