8 The Cultural Impact of Japanese Americans in Illinois following WWII

  World War II shaped the way that America perceived itself, from a player on the world stage to a victor in a monumental global war. From a domestic sense, the US was struggling with shifting racial relations and cross-cultural understanding. The widescale internment and relocation of Japanese Americans is a period of our nation’s history of which many have turned a blind eye. However, a comprehensive understanding of how Japanese American citizens were relocated, discriminated against, and eventually integrated into Midwestern cities following World War II provides context for the modern role of many Eastern-Asian ethnic minorities groups in cities such as Chicago. The emphasis of this essay is not to allocate blame for the xenophobic policies of the era, but rather to inform modern audiences of what it means to be Japanese American in 20th and 21st century America.

During the course of the war and immediately following, education institutions across America were reluctant or downright unwilling to accept Nisei (2nd generation Japanese American) individuals into their universities despite stellar educational aptitude. Universities such as the University of Illinois were “reluctant to take on any such responsibilities” when it came to accepting applicants from this minority group, and the University of Chicago stated that it would be “inadvisable” at first (Langowski, 112). This widespread disinclination towards Nisei individuals was another devastating blow at the livelihood of many Japanese American individuals at the time. The perils of a “grave violation of civil rights and personal freedoms” (Arlleno-Bover, 2018) provide the context for an multi-generational ethnic community that values educational attainment, financial success, and persistence; all in which have and will continue to benefit the greater Chicago area (including Suburbs) for years to come.

Additionally, future generations can look to the faults of past administrations and call for equal access to education for minority groups that may experience similar prejudice brought against them. In the same way that Langowski has called for IU faculty to come to terms with its discriminatory past, it will be imperative that school boards and presidents of universities such as Northwestern, UC, and the University of Illinois speak on the reconciliation process with the affected Japanese-American individuals to set an example for the communities of multi-ethnic belonging for the educated population of  Chicago, and Illinois overall.

The process of relocating thousands of Japanese Americans into the greater Chicago and Illinois area proved to reestablish the long-existing racial structures that served to define and limit many minorities throughout the early 20th century. Due to “job availability” in multiple industries and a relatively more open cultural space compared to the East Coast and Southern regions, Chicago proved to be an enticing space to relocate for desperate Japanese Americans (Holli & Jones, 424). This influx of “nearly 3,000 Japanese Americans” proved to influence the local culture’s ideas surrounding racial politics. In her book Double Cross: Japanese Americans in Black and White Chicago, Harden quotes Japanese American individuals on the difference between a more modern Chicago and the Chicago of the past: “When we got here, they told us it was a Scandinavian community. But we bought the house from a Chinese family. It was a mixed community even then. I supposed that there was a time that if you didn’t come over on the Mayflower you wouldn’t be allowed to live here.” She continues to discuss the complicated reality of the regions that these Japanese Americans ended up in, and the way in which their circumstances promoted a “sophisticated awareness of the impact of black/white color line” and the existing racial hierarchies. This reality may have allowed Japanese Americans to consciously challenge the racialized structures of their community; it altered their cultural sphere in a way that propelled them into activism and existence that has come to question “contemporary racial ideology” (Harden, 3). While the experiences of the integrated individuals are crucial to understanding how Japanese Americans shape the culture of Illinois and Chicago, it may be equally as important to understand the spread of reactions from communities in Illinois.

In contrast with the hostile responses of many educational institutions across the Midwest previously mentioned, the reaction of some smaller communities across Illinois allowed for a deeper communal connection and a newfound respect for immigrant value. The opportunity for multiple smaller towns in Illinois to accept families of Japanese descent reinforced traits that are traditionally viewed as Midwestern, neighborliness and a laid-back attitude. As opposed to the paternalistic, “protective attitude” adopted by other WRA offices such as those in Indianapolis (Connor, 111-112). The positive stories of Arata’s and the Yamada’s in a short Peoria Magazine from 2018 highlights the ability of a small, Midwestern community to embrace those from a different ethnic upbringing and benefit from the experience. These interactions connect with the concept of “community membership” that is brought up by Vega in her book Latino Heartland where Latinos in Lafayette, Indiana struggled with integrating with the homogeneous White ethnic population due to constrained, monopolized definitions of ethnic belonging.  However, when rare instances of acceptance by communities, such as Peoria, result in a “positive legacy” between the larger community and the struggling minority, this can shift rhetoric and attitudes towards future immigrant populations (Morris & Gates, 2018).

Finally, in the context of the previously mentioned elements of the Japanese American influence on Illinois’ modern perspective on race, ethnicity, and acceptance, internment and physical dislocation continue to have an impact. On a holistic scale, the current generations’ ethnic expression reflects “the histories and experiences of their parents” and the removal from their “homeland” (Tsuda, 111). The hardship and lessons passed down by the previous generations continue to impact the ethnic membership of communities in the modern era.  From the perspective of challenging the established ethnic homogeneity of a given area within Illinois, the ability of third and fourth generations to assimilate has ensured educational and economic attainment; however, it also endangers some aspects of long-held ethnic heritage. In addition to a continuing battle for racial/ethnic belonging, modern Japanese Americans must grapple with balancing making a “conscious effort to assimilate,” while respecting their roots (Tsuda, 113). This is especially pertinent in Illinois communities with a relatively higher percentage of Japanese Americans such as Elk Grove Village and Arlington heights, even though the percentage of Japanese Americans is maximum two to three percent. The debate of assimilation versus cultivation of original culture is one that is pervasive throughout all minority groups in America. Japanese Americans are having to make tough ethnic and heritage decision surrounding topics such as language, culture, and celebrations that may differ from the surrounding homogenous White ethnic population in much of Illinois. Optimistically, newly emerging 4th and 5th generation Japanese Americans are becoming increasingly apt at assimilating to the surrounding culture, while also embracing a “revival” of heritage and ethnic appreciation (Tsuda, 156-157).

Overall, the events of WWII involving the internment of individuals of Japanese descent, as well as their subsequent “relocation” and assimilation, all prove to have rippling effects on the people involved and the surrounding communities across Illinois. Whether it be the increased educational attainment, restructured racial lines, or other factors, a comprehensive understanding of Illinois’s ethnic identity and composition would not be complete without the proper recognition of Japanese Americans, their experiences, and the effect of their perseverance.

Works Cited

Arellano-Bover, Jaime. (2018) “Displacement, Diversity, and Mobility: Career Impacts of Japanese American Internment.” Mimeo, Stanford University.

Conner, Nancy. “From Internment to Indiana: Japanese Americans, the War Relocation Authority, the Disciples of Christ, and Citizen Committees in Indianapolis.” Indiana Magazine of History, vol. 102, no. 2, 2006, pp. 89–116. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/27792706. Accessed 20 Apr. 2020.

Harden, J. “Double-Crossing the Color Line.” Double Cross: Japanese Americans in Black and White Chicago, by Jacalyn D. Harden, NED – New edition ed., University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis; London, 2003, pp. 1–33. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.ctttsc82.5. Accessed 17 Apr. 2020.

Holli, Melvin G., and Peter d’A. Jones. Ethnic Chicago: A Multicultural Portrait. Eerdmans, 2007.

Langowski, Eric. (2019) “Education Denied: Indiana University’s Japanese American Ban, 1942 to 1945.” Indiana Magazine of History, vol. 115, no. 2, 2019, pp. 65–115. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/indimagahist.115.2.01. Accessed 18 Apr. 2020.

Morris, Tina, and Rustin Gates. “New in Town: Japanese American Resettlement During WWII.” Peoria, Central Illinois Business Publishers, Sept. 2018, www.peoriamagazines.com/ibi/2018/sep/new-town-japanese-american-resettlement-during-wwii.

Tsuda, Takeyuki. (2016) “Assimilation and Loss of Ethnic Heritage among Third-Generation Japanese Americans.” NYU Press, 2016, pp. 111–132. JSTOR, www.jstor.org.proxyiub.uits.iu.edu/stable/j.ctt1bj4s6p.7. Accessed 18 Apr. 2020.

Vega, Sujey. Latino Heartland: Of Borders and Belonging in the Midwest. New York University Press, 2015.