Ugly History: Japanese American incarceration camps - Densho

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

On December 7, 1941,

1941 年十二月七日，

16 year-old Aki Kurose shared in the horror of millions of Americans

日本戰機空襲珍珠港，數百萬名

美國人陷入惶恐， 包括十六歲的 Aki Kurose。

when Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor.

What she did not know,

她並不知道，

was how that shared experience

這段大家共同的經歷

would soon leave her family and over 120,000 Japanese Americans

很快就會讓她的家人 及逾十二萬日裔美國人

alienated from their country,

被他們的國家疏離，

both socially and physically.

在社會上及實體上皆是如此。

As of 1941,

到 1941 年時，

Japanese American communities had been growing in the US for over 50 years.

日裔美國人社群 已札根美國超過五十年。

About one-third of them were immigrants,

他們當中有約三分之一是移民，

many of whom settled on the West Coast and had lived there for decades.

許多人在西岸定居， 在那裡住了數十年。

The rest were born as American citizens, like Aki.

其餘的則和 Aki 一樣是 在美國出生的美國公民。

Born Akiko Kato in Seattle,

Aki 本名 Akiko Kato， 生於西雅圖，

Aki grew up in a diverse neighborhood

在一個多樣化的鄰坊長大，

where she never thought of herself as anything but American–

在那裡，她完全不懷疑 自己是個美國人——

until the day after the attack, when a teacher told her:

直至空襲翌日，一位老師對她說：

“You people bombed Pearl Harbor."

「你們這些人炸了珍珠港。」

Amid racism, paranoia, and fears of sabotage,

在種族主義、妄想， 和對破壞的恐懼影響下，

people labelled Japanese Americans as potential traitors.

大家把日裔美國人貼上了 潛在背叛者的標籤。

FBI agents began to search homes, confiscate belongings

聯邦調查局探員開始 搜查住所、沒收財產，

and detain community leaders without trial.

不經過審判就直接 拘留社區領導人。

Aki’s family was not immediately subjected to these extreme measures,

Aki 的家人沒有馬上受到 這些極端措施的波擊，

but on February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066.

但在 1942 年二月十九日，

羅斯福總統頒佈了 第 9066 號行政命令。

The order authorized the removal of any suspected enemies–

有了這項命令的授權，就可以 除去任何疑似敵人的對象——

including anyone of even partial Japanese heritage–

包括只有部分日本血統的人——

from designated ‘military areas.’

不讓他們出現在 指定的「軍事區」中。

At first,

一開始，日裔美國人

Japanese Americans were pushed to leave restricted areas and migrate inland.

被迫離開禁區，遷居至內地。

But as the government froze their bank accounts

但當政府凍結了他們的銀行帳戶，

and imposed local restrictions such as curfews,

並實施當地的限制，如宵禁，

many were unable to leave– Aki’s family among them.

造成許多人無法離開—— 包括 Aki 的家人。

In March, a proclamation forbid Japanese Americans from changing their residency,

三月公告了一份聲明， 禁止日裔美國人改變住處，

trapping them in military zones.

將他們困在軍事地區。

In May, the army moved Aki and her family,

五月，軍隊將 Aki 和她的家人

along with over 7,000 Japanese Americans living in Seattle

以及超過七千名住在 西雅圖的日裔美國人

to "Camp Harmony" in Puyallup, Washington.

送到華盛頓皮阿拉普的「和諧營」。

This was one of several makeshift detention centers

和諧營是當時的數個 臨時拘留中心之一，

at former fairgrounds and racetracks,

用以前的市集和跑道做為場地，

where entire families were packed into poorly converted stables and barracks.

在營中，全家人要一起擠進 改裝得很糟糕的馬棚和營房。

Over the ensuing months,

在接下來的幾個月，

the army moved Japanese Americans into long-term camps

軍隊將日裔美國人 送到長期的營區，

in desolate areas of the West and South,

這些營區位在西邊 和南邊的荒蕪地區，

moving Aki and her family to Minidoka in southern Idaho.

Aki 和她的家人被送到 愛達荷州南部的明尼多卡。

Guarded by armed soldiers,

這些營區外面有武裝士兵看守，

many of these camps were still being constructed when incarcerees moved in.

當被監禁者被送進去時， 許多營區都還在建造中。

These hastily built prisons were overcrowded and unsanitary.

這些倉促建造的監獄 過度擁擠且十分不衛生。

People frequently fell ill and were unable to receive proper medical care.

裡面的人經常生病， 且無法取得妥善的醫療照護。

The War Relocation Authority relied on incarcerees to keep the camps running.

戰爭安置局靠被監禁者來讓營區運作。

Many worked in camp facilities or taught in poorly equipped classrooms,

許多人在營區設施中工作， 或在設備不全的教室中教書，

while others raised crops and animals.

其他人則要種植作物和飼養動物。

Some Japanese Americans rebelled, organizing labor strikes and even rioting.

有些日裔美國人會反抗， 發動勞工罷工，甚至暴動。

But many more, like Aki’s parents, endured.

但更多人選擇和 Aki 的 父母一樣默默忍耐。

They constantly sought to recreate some semblance of life outside the camps,

他們經常想辦法重新創造出 酷似營外生活的外觀，

but the reality of their situation was unavoidable.

但無法逃避他們處境的實況。

Like many younger incarcerees, Aki was determined to leave her camp.

Aki 和許多比較年輕的被監禁者 一樣，決心要離開營地。

She finished her final year of high school at Minidoka,

她在明尼多卡讀完了 高中的最後一年，

and with the aid of an anti-racist Quaker organization,

在反種族主義的貴格會協助下，

she was able to enroll at Friends University in Kansas.

她進入了堪薩斯的朋友大學就讀。

For Aki’s family however, things wouldn’t begin to change until late 1944.

然而，對 Aki 的家人而言，

要到 1944 年末情況才有所改變。

A landmark Supreme Court case

一個里程碑級的最高法庭案例判定

ruled that continued detention of American citizens without charges

在沒有控訴的情況下 持續拘留美國公民

was unconstitutional.

是違憲的。

In the fall of 1945,

1945 年秋天，

the war ended and the camps closed down.

戰爭結束，營區都被關閉。

Remaining incarcerees were given a mere $25

剩下的被監禁者只拿到二十五美金

and a train ticket to their pre-war address,

和一張前往戰前居住地的火車票，

but many no longer had a home or job to return to.

但許多人就算回去 也沒有家、沒有工作了。

Aki’s family had been able to keep their apartment,

Aki 的家人還留有他們的公寓，

and Aki eventually returned to Seattle after college.

Aki 在大學畢業後也返回西雅圖。

However, post-war prejudice made finding work difficult.

然而，戰後的偏見 讓找工作變得很困難。

Incarcarees faced discrimination and resentment

被監禁者要面對的，

是來自取代他們的工人 和房客的歧視和怨恨。

from workers and tenants who replaced them.

Fortunately, Japanese Americans weren’t alone

幸運的是，在對抗種族歧視上，

in the fight against racial discrimination.

日裔美國人並不孤單。

Aki found work with one of Seattle’s first interracial labor unions

Aki 在西雅圖最早的 跨種族工會之一找到工作，

and joined the Congress of Racial Equality.

並加入了種族平等會議。

She became a teacher, and over the next several decades,

她成了老師， 在接下來的數十年間，

her advocacy for multicultural, socially conscious education

她提倡多重文化、 有社會意識的教育，

would impact thousands of students.

影響了數以千計的學生。

However, many ex-incarcerees, particularly members of older generations,

然而，許多以前被監禁的人，

特別是老一輩的人，

were unable to rebuild their lives after the war.

在戰後都無法重建他們的生活。

Children of incarcerees began a movement

被監禁者的孩子發起了一項運動，

calling for the United States to atone for this historic injustice.

要求美國為這歷史上的不公贖罪。

In 1988, the US government officially apologized for the wartime incarceration–

1988 年，美國政府正式 對戰時的監禁道歉——

admitting it was the catastrophic result of racism, hysteria,

承認那是種族主義、激動情緒，

和不當的政治領導能力 所造成的災難性結果。

and failed political leadership.

Three years after this apology,

道歉的三年後，

Aki Kurose was awarded the Human Rights Award

聯合國的西雅圖支會

from the Seattle Chapter of the United Nations,

頒發人權獎給 Aki Kurose，

celebrating her vision of peace and respect for people of all backgrounds.

頌揚她對和平的遠景 及對各種背景人的抱持尊重。