When the Emperor was Divine - Flashcard Study Set on Japanese American History and Civil Liberties

WHo is the speaker in each chapter?

1- mom

2- girl

3- boy

4- boy and girl (we)

5- dad

Author

Julie Otsuka

Genre?

Historical fiction

Similarities and differences between speaker's chapters

a. The boy's chapter has many flashbacks. Some are more hopeful than others. Mom was frantic whereas the dad was sarcastic.

Theme

Central idea of a work of literature

Motif

when a symbol is reoccurring throughout the text. (Trees, water, animals, etc)

Tone

the emotion in the chapter. How the events are presented and the underlying tone.

Microcosm

A miniature world; something that resembles something else on a very small scale

Flashback

A method of narration in which present action is temporarily interrupted so that the reader can witness past events THINK WHEN THE EMPEROR WAS DIVINE CHAPTER

White Dog

shows the resignation of the family, when the mom kills the dog. Shows what they have to give up.

Scrubbing stains

stains are hard to erase. The Japanese Americans are viewed as stains. The non-Japanese-Americans feel guilt for what's happening but also their indifference.The internment camps are stains on the Japanese American's lives.

The turtle

a microcosm of the family. shows how the family hid their heritage in the camps.

pearl earring

Represents hope and identity. When the woman lost it it shows how she lost her identity

three ships

the ships represent his mom, dad, and sister. They are coming from Japan; shows the worry of losing their culture.

Trees/Bonsai

a little tree; cultural thing for Japanese. Constantly making it symmetrical. Calming. Represents law and order. Bonsai tree being gone, the family has no law and order anymore.

Horses

the wild mustangs, wild animals running towards freedom whereas the people are heading to the camp and trapped.

House Key

hope of returning

Face Creme

represents identity.

watch

shows how they are giving up on their family and their lives are stuck

picket fence

shows the ideal "American Dream". it also separates the Japanese Americans from the Americans.

dust

it always returns, hard to get rid of.

water

washes away. Without it you can not be clean. The Japanese Americans could not cleanse themselves of what was happening to them.

When did the US begin monitoring the Japanese

1922

1924 Immigration Act

The quota provided immigration visas to two percent of the total number of people of each nationality in the United States as of the 1890 national census (there can only be 2% of an ethnic groups of the nationality of the US)

Munson Report

250-300 Japanese men were on a dangerous list

Considered to be spies for the Japanese gov.

Issei

first generation; 90-98% loyal to America

Niesei

second generation; "most dangerous"

Executive Order 9066

all people of Japanese descent must leave their homes and go to internment camps

Teddy Roosevelt

finialized 9066

Registration

Japanese Americans had 6 weeks to register and leave

Assembly Facilities

poor conditions; shacks or horse stalls, stadiums or fair grounds

Bainbridge Island Evacuation

First Evacuation

1942

Forced to leave everything

Invasion of Civil Liberties

70% of internees were civilians Basic rights denied

Censored reading material Hymnals and reading books Japanese to English dictionaries

No Japanese

Prisoners

120,000 prisoners of Japanese ancestry

Most were US citizens or legal permanent aliens

Public against excluding Germans and Italians.

Reparations and Aftermath

1976 (34 years later) President Gerald Ford declared it a "national mistake"

1988(46 years later) Japanese American Redress Bill Acknowledged a grave injustice Ronald Reagan Provided reparations of 20,000 for surviving internees.