Critical Social Inquiry 0253 - U.S. Homefront During WWII

World War II, often referred to as the "Good War," was also a race war. For Americans, it was a race war against the Japanese. Outraged by the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the American people, along with Congress, enthusiastically supported President Franklin Roosevelt in declaring war against Japan. This race war had a profound and disturbing impact on the homefront as well. This course explores the lives and experiences of people of color, especially Asian Americans, on the homefront during World War II against the backdrop of the unprecedented internment of 120,000 immigrants and Americans of Japanese ancestry living in the United States. We will examine the social, economic, political and cultural changes and continuities experienced by Asian Americans during the United States' war with Japan. In addition to examining historians' interpretations, students will contribute to the task of rethinking World War II in Asian American historiography.

Power, Community and Social Justice Independent Work Multiple Cultural Perspectives Writing and Research