The home front in World War II

Grade 11 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Cards A to F. Card A, Executive Order 9066, signed February 19, 1942 (primary source; National Archives transcript), which authorized military commanders to set military areas: "…to prescribe military areas in such places and of such extent as he or the appropriate Military Commander may determine, from which any or all persons may be excluded…" Card B, a summary in our words, written today: Nearly 113,000 people of Japanese ancestry lived in California, Washington and Oregon, and two-thirds were American citizens (National Park Service). The order named no group, but Japanese Americans were removed, often on 48 hours' notice. The National Archives says roughly 120,000 Japanese Americans lived in the affected area and nearly 70,000 of those removed were American citizens; sources differ slightly. Card C, a summary in our words: Ten fenced and guarded camps stood in remote areas of seven states, including Poston and Gila River in Arizona. Poston, on the Colorado River Indian Reservation, peaked at 17,814 people on September 2, 1942; Gila River, on the Gila River Indian Reservation, peaked at 13,348 in November 1942. The Colorado River tribal council opposed the use of its land and was overruled by the Office of Indian Affairs and the Army. The Gila River council rejected the lease twice in 1942 and narrowly voted to authorize it in October. Card D, a summary in our words: No charges of disloyalty were made against those removed, and they had no way to appeal. All lost their liberty, and most lost homes and property. Gordon Hirabayashi, Fred Korematsu and Mitsuye Endo challenged the orders in court. At Poston, residents built a school to keep their children's education going. Card E, the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, section 1 (primary source; Public Law 100-383, 102 Stat. 903), which gave the Act's purposes: "to acknowledge the fundamental injustice of the evacuation, relocation, and internment of United States citizens and permanent resident aliens of Japanese ancestry during World War II" and to "apologize on behalf of the people of the United States". Card F, a summary in our words: The Act paid $20,000 to each surviving person who had been incarcerated; eligible people had to be alive on August 10, 1988. The Office of Redress Administration paid more than 82,219 claimants until it closed on February 5, 1999. The National Archives title for the topic is Japanese-American Incarceration During World War II.

2. 1.

   Card A names no group, yet card B says Japanese Americans were removed. One student says the order required that removal; another says commanders acted against the order. What do the cards allow, Ari asks?

   • The broad words allowed the removal, but the cards show neither that it was required nor who chose the group
   • A separate order named Japanese Americans, which is why card B says they were removed from the coast
   • The order required the removal, since its words let commanders exclude persons from the military areas they set
   • The commanders acted against the order, since it named no group and they removed one group
3. 2.

   Card B gives 113,000 with two-thirds citizens, and roughly 120,000 with nearly 70,000 of those removed citizens. A student says the sources disagree, so neither is usable. What should Bo say?

   • They disagree on the citizen share, since nearly 70,000 of 120,000 is 58 percent, not two-thirds
   • The counts have different bases (three states, the area, those removed), so each fits its own question
   • They agree, since two-thirds of 113,000 is about 70,000, so both give the same citizen count
   • The sources disagree, so neither count should be used until a third source settles which one is right
4. 3.

   Card A is a 1942 order and card E a 1988 law, both about the removal. A student says the law restates the order's view. What is the main difference, Jun asks?

   • Card A grants authority; card E calls the removal an injustice and apologizes
   • Card A already called the removal unjust, and card E later confirmed that judgment
   • Card E cancels card A, since an apology ends the order it refers to
   • Card E blames the commanders whom card A empowers for the removal
5. 4.

   Card E says 'evacuation, relocation, and internment'; card F gives the National Archives title with 'Incarceration.' A student says the two words show the sources disagree about the facts. What should Kira say?

   • The words are labels for the same events, so the choice carries no meaning for a historian
   • The words frame the events differently, while cards B, C and D give the same facts
   • The Archives title is older than the Act, so the Act's words replaced it
   • The word choice shows the National Archives rejects the Act's apology
6. 5.

   Card D says Poston residents built a school to continue their children's education. One student says this shows they accepted the camp; another, that they protested it. What does it support, Luz asks?

   • Neither view; it shows residents acting to continue education, not how they judged the camp
   • Both views, since card D also says three people challenged the orders in court
   • The second view, since building a school at the camp protests the lack of schooling
   • The first view, since people who build a school are planning to stay, and so have accepted the camp
7. 6.

   A student claims the removal was justified because those removed were disloyal. Using cards A, B and D, what can Milo say about the claim?

   • Card B answers it, since two-thirds were citizens and citizens cannot be disloyal
   • Card D settles that those removed were loyal, since no charges of disloyalty were ever made against them
   • Card D reports no charges of disloyalty and no appeal, so the claim has no support here
   • Card A supports it, since the order let commanders exclude persons from military areas
8. 7.

   One student says only noncitizens were removed. Another says two-thirds of those removed were citizens. What does card B allow Noah to say about each?

   • The first is contradicted by nearly 70,000 removed citizens; the second's two-thirds counts residents, not those removed
   • Both are wrong, since card B says the sources differ slightly, so no count of citizens can be relied on for any purpose
   • The second is right, since two-thirds of the 113,000 residents were citizens and the same share was removed as well
   • The first is contradicted, and about 50,000 noncitizens were removed, since 120,000 minus nearly 70,000 is 50,000 people
9. 8.

   A student multiplies card F's 82,219 claimants by $20,000, gets about $1.6 billion, and says that shows what those removed lost. What should Ren reply?

   • It is close to the loss, since card D says most lost homes and property worth about $20,000 each
   • It is at least what was paid to survivors, not a measure of loss, since card D gives no values
   • It is the total of the losses, since the Act's purpose was to pay for the injustice that was done
   • It is a ceiling on what was paid, since 82,219 is the most claimants the Office paid
10. 9.

    A student adds card C's peaks, 17,814 at Poston and 13,348 at Gila River, to get 31,162 as the population of the two camps. What does the sum show, Tala asks?

    • The camps' average population, since peaks are close to usual size
    • A ceiling on the combined population on any day, since the peaks fell on different dates
    • The number of people ever held in the two camps, since a peak counts each person once
    • The population of both camps on September 2, 1942, since that date was the peak at Poston
11. 10.

    Card F says eligible people had to be alive on August 10, 1988, and more than 82,219 claimants were paid. A student says 82,219 is the number once incarcerated. What should Zee say?

    • It is a floor: the number once incarcerated was at least that many, since only people alive in 1988 were paid
    • It is the number incarcerated in 1942, since the Office of Redress Administration counted the camps' residents
    • It is a ceiling, since no more than 82,219 people could have been incarcerated
    • It is the number incarcerated, since the Act paid each person who had been incarcerated