prisoners among us italian-american idenity and world war ii teachers guide

7/30/2019 Prisoners Among Us Italian-American Idenity and World War II Teachers Guide

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PURPOSE OF THE TEACHERS GUIDE .

SUMMARY OF THE VIDEO DOCUMENTARY PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

TIMELINE 1768 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

CHAPTER I ITALIAN MIGRATION AND ASSIMILATION

Lesson. The Decision to Leave Italy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7. .Interview.Analysis.Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Lesson. Responses to the New Immigrants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10Lesson. Searching or the Italian American Experience .. 11. .Your.Heritage.Scrapbook.. 12. ..Suggested.Websites . 13

CHAPTER II WWII CHANGES IN ATTITUDES, SOLDIERS, INTERNMENT, AND POWs

Lesson............ Identi cation Card Policy or National Security . 14-15. .Uncovering.the.Myths.o .Italian.American.Relocation.. 16-25.. .Overview.o .Internment,.Relocation.and.Exclusion. 26-27Lesson. Celebration o the Italian American Soldier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-29.. .Medal.o .Honor.Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Lesson. Comparing Italian, German and Japanese Exclusion and Internment Experiences . 31-32.. .Comparison.Chart. 33Lesson. Italian Prisoners o War (POWs) in U. S. Camps During WWII . 34-35

.Newspaper.Articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-38.. .Italian.Prisoners.o .War.in.the.United.States:.1943..45 . 39-46.. .Extra.Notes . 47-48. .Partial.List.o .Italian.Prisoner.o .War.Camps.Located.in.the.United.States. 49

CHAPTER III RECOGNITION AND REMEMBRANCE

Lesson. Limitation o Rights During Wartime; Can This Happen Again? . 50-51. .SimulationLesson. Recognition and an Apology or War Time Treatment o Italian Americans . 52-53Lesson. Remembrance . 54-5. .Excerpts. Uncivil Liberties: Italian Americans Under Siege During World War II 56-79

CLOSING THOUGHT . 8

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Table of ContentsTable of Contents


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PURPOSE OF THE STUDY GUIDE

The.overall.purpose.o .the. Prisoners Among Us .Study.Guide.is.to.bring.students.a..part.o .American.history.that.has.been.given.little.or.no.attention .This.need.was..voiced. rom.teachers.and.audiences.who.had.viewed.the.documentary .One.viewer.stated..that.she.wished.she.could.put.the.documentary.in.every.school .How.can.we.change.or..not.repeat.what.we.do.not.know?

Built.in.three.chapters,.the.guide.begins.by.covering.the.Italian.migration.and..assimilation.into.American.culture .The.second.chapter.contains. our.key.elements:.1)..How.American.and.Italian-American.attitudes.were.changed.by.World.War.II,.2).An..assessment.o .Italian-American.soldiers,.3).The.little.known.story.o .the.internment.o ..Italian-Americans,.and.4).The.Italian.prisoners.o .war.held.in.this.country .The.third..chapter.concludes.with.recognition.and.remembrances.o .the.issues.previously.covered,..bringing.these.lessons.into.a.comparative.light.with.current.issues

In.order.to. acilitate.the.use.o .the.documentary.a.study.guide.has.been.created .This..study.guide.was.designed.on.the.premise.that.students.have,.or.will.be.viewing.the..documentary. lm.in.preparation. or.these.lessons .The.total.length.o .the. lm.is.88..minutes.and.while.it.can.be.viewed.in.its.entirety,.it.can.also.be.shown.in.two.45.-.minute.screenings

The.guide.is.directed.toward.high.school.and.middle.school.students .We.hope.these..materials.will.enhance.and. ul ll.parts.o .your.American.History.experience .I .there.are..comments.or.experiences.you.would.like.to.relate.to.us,.please.contact.us.through.the..web.site.www prisonersamongus com

Prisoners Among Us weaves a ray of hope through another sinister period in ourhistory. A must-have teaching tool.

Catherine Hillriegel, Sullivan West Central School District, Lake Huntington,NY

Prisoners Among Us weaves a ray of hope through another sinister period in ourhistory. A must-have teaching tool.

Catherine Hillriegel, Sullivan West Central School District, Lake Huntington,NY


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Prisoners Among Us: Italian American Identity and WWII Summary

Prisoners Among Us .chronicles.the.assimilation.o .Italians.into.American.culture. rom.early.19th.century.immigration.through.World.War.II .In.particular,.the. lm.sheds.light.on.our.countrys.enemy.alien.policies.at.the.start.o .that.confict.and.the.impact.o .these.legislative.acts.upon.unwitting. amilies .Personal.and.collective.experiences. rom.this.period.have.had.a.pro ound.a ect.on.Italian-American.identity .

The.outbreak.o .world.confict.in.Europe.changed.an.already.tenuous.landscape.and.new.loyalties.placed.a.strain.on.natural. amily.ties .Italys.government.joined.Hitler.as.an.Axis.power.and.Italians,.eager.to.become.Americans,.were. aced.with.a.dilemma .They..encountered.paranoia.that.ran.the.gamut. rom.street-side.prejudice.to. ormal.declarations.o .war.upon.non-citizen.Italians .This.sentiment.reached.a.crescendo.when.President.Roosevelt.signed.into.law.in.December.o .1941,.Proclamation.No .2527,.which.branded.the.600,000.non-naturalized.Italians.as.potential.enemy.aliens,.stripping.them.o .their.right.to.privacy .

The. lms. rank.examination.o .the.infuence.this.had.on.Italian.American.assimilation.provides.an.historical.context. or.how.these.people.survived.adversity.and.continued.to.thrive.--.strong.in.their.sense.o .identity.and.pride.as.Italian.Americans .Through..interviews,.historical.detail,.photographs,.archival. ootage,.music,.literature,.and..historical.analysis.the.spirit.o .a.proud.people.who.ultimately.emerge.victorious.is..revealed


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1768....Over.100.Italians.landed.on.the.east.coast.o .Florida,.the.present.day.Daytona.and.New.............Smyrna.beaches ..The.Italians.were.part.o .an.extensive.colonization.project,.which. ailed.............due.to.their.inhumane.treatment

1779....Two.regiments,.recruited.mainly.in.Italy,.arrived.to. ght. or.the.American.cause:.the..3rd.................Piemont.(473.men).and.the.30th.Du.Perche.(1064.men)

1804...Italian.warships.sailed.to.the.shores.o .Tripoli.and. ought.with.Americans.against.the..................Barbary.pirates

1852...Constantion.Brumidi,.at.age.47,.arrived.in.America.and.labored. or.25.years.where.his............ rescoes.in.the.Capitol.Rotunda.cover.5,000.square. eet

1861...The.Garibaldi.Guard,.o cially.known.as.the.39th.New.York.In antry,.consisted.o .830.. .men,.including.some.50.Italians,. ought.with.distinction.in.the.Union.Army.in.numerous... battles. rom.the. rst.Bull.Run.to.Appomattox

1865...General.Luigi.Palma.di.Cesnola,.Civil.War.hero.who.was.awarded.the.Medal.o .Honor,..............was.appointed.by.President.Abraham.Lincoln.as.Ambassador.to.Cyprus

1815-1871....The.Risorgimento.or.Uni cation.o .Italy.was.the.process.by.which.the.modern.......................country.o .Italy.was. orged. rom.a.collection.o .individual.Italian.States.linked.only.........................by.geography .Throughout.that.period.the.question.o .Italy.dominated.European.

......................politics:.with.personalities.such.as.Cavour,.Victor.Emmanuel.and,.o .course,.......................Garibaldi.becoming.household.names

1880-1924. Nearly.10%.o .the.Italian.population.moved.to.America.due.to......................economic.and.social.conditions.in.the.deteriorated.Italy .About.............................................................70%.o .these..immigrants.came. rom.Mezziogiorno,.the.area......................south.o .Rome.where.disease.and. amine.were.running.rampant

1891....Eleven.Italians. ound.innocent.in.a.New.Orleans.court.were.dragged. rom.their.cells.............and.brutally.massacred.by.a.mob,.making.it.the.worst.lynching.in.U S .history

1920...May.5:...Nicola.Sacco.and.Bartomoleo.Vanzetti.were.arrested ..Sacco.and.Vanzetti.were...........................charged.with.robbery.and.the.murders.o .a. actory.guard.and.paymaster.in.South............................Braintree,.Massachusetts

1921....Immigration.restriction.law.set.an.annual.quota.according.to.nationality

1922...October:....Benito.Mussolini.and.the.Fascist.party.take.over.power.in...............................Italy.until.1943

Timeline 1768 - 2000


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1924....The.Immigration.Restriction.League.was. ormed.in.Boston.in.1894.by.Robert.DeCourcey.............Ward .He.spent.the.next.three.decades.working. or.immigration.restriction .The.Act.that.............lead.to.the.40.-.year.Great.Pause.in.immigration.was.passed.in.1924 .

1927...August.22:...Sacco.and.Vanzetti.were.both.convicted.and.despite.widespread.protests,.were..................................eventually.electrocuted.in.1928 ..Riots.and. ghting.broke.out.worldwide..................................with.twenty.people.dying.in.one.Paris.street. ght

1940....Roosevelts.Dagger.in.the.Back.speech.condemned.Mussolinis..........................................declaration.o .war.on.France

1941....An.unmistakable.shi t.occurred .The.vast.majority.o .Italians.who.took.up.residence.on.............American.soil.rallied.enthusiastically.in.support.o .their.adopted.country

1941...December.7:...Previously.identi ed.aliens.who.were.believed.to.pose...................................a.threat.were.taken.into.custody.by.the.FB I . or.Internment.......... . . ..The.most. amous.internment.camps.were.Ft .Missoula,.

...................................Ft .Lincoln,.Crystal.City,.and.Ellis.Island.which.held....................................thousands.o .Italians,.Japanese,.and.Germans

1941...December.8:....U S .enters.WWII.a ter.the.bombing.at.Pearl.Harbor.by.the.Japanese....................................During.the.war.years,.nearly.ten.percent.o .Americans.in.uni orm.were.o .........................................Italian.descent ..When.the.losses.were.ultimately.tallied,.o .all.ethnic....................................groups,.Italian.Americans.su ered.the.greatest.number.o .casualties

1941....December.8:....Franklin.Roosevelt.signed.Proclamation.2527,.essentially.designating... . . ....600,000.non-naturalized.Italians.as.enemy.aliens .It.was.en orceable,..

. . . ....based.on.the.one.hundred.and. ty.year.old.law,.The.Alien.Enemy... . . ....Act.o .1798 ..

1942.....Rosie.Bonavita.became.the.symbol. or.newly.3.million.American.women.working.in.............. actories.and.shipyards.during.World.War.II ..She.was.better.known.as.Rosie.the..............Riveter.and.espouses.the.slogan,.Do.the.job.he.le t.behind

1942....FBI.entered.homes.o .Italian.Americans.looking. or.and.con scating.............radios,.transmitters.and.cameras ..This.was.part.o .a.program.to.............produce. ear.and.anxiety.among.Italians. rom.coast-to-coast

1942...February.15.&.24:....Relocation.orders. or.voluntary.relocation.were.issued ..This.was................................................initially.an.exclusion.program. or.all.enemy.aliens

1942...February.19:....President.Roosevelt.signed.into.law.Executive.Order.9066,.authorizing.......................................the.Secretary.o .War.to.designate.military.areas.within.our.shores .As.a.......................................result,.on.the.West.coast,.thousands.o .Italians.were. orcibly.relocated........................................across.arbitrary.lines.o .demarcation


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1942...March.12:....Opera.singer.Ezio.Pinza.was.taken.into.custody.by.the.F B I .Characteristic..................................o .these.cases,.the.Department.o .Justice.did.not.disclose.the.charges .Pinza..................................was.transported.by.boat.to.an.internment. acility.on.Ellis.Island.and.was..................................imprisoned. or.three.months.be ore.a.second.hearing. nally.gained.his...................................release

1942..May:....Exclusion.became.an.individual.program. or........................Italians.and.Germans

1942..July:....The.United.States.realized.that.there.was.never.a.threat.o .enemy.invasion. rom.the........................Paci c .Those.Italians.who.had.relocated.were.allowed.to.return.to.their.homes

1942..October.12:...President.Roosevelt.announced.that.Italians.would.no.longer.be.classi ed.as..................................Enemy.Aliens

1944....Atomic.physicist,.Enrico.Fermi,.who.became.an.American.citizen.in.1944,.was.at.the.............University.o .Chicago ..His.contributions.toward.the.invention.o .the.atom.bomb.saved.............over.a.million.casualties.to.American. orces.alone,.stated.Secretary.o .War,.Henry.L .............Stimson

1951....Lawyer.Michael.Angelo.Musmanno.is.elected.to.the.Pennsylvania.Supreme.Court ..The.............appointment.crowned.a.distinguished.legal.career,.which.saw.Musmanno.de ending.Sacco.............and.Vanzetti.in.1927.and.later.presiding.at.the.Nuremberg.Trials

1971....Columbus.Day.becomes.a. ederal.public.holiday.as.declared.by.the.U S .Congress .

1976...February.19:....President.Gerald.Ford.o cially.rescinded.Executive.Order.9066.a ter......................................thirty- our.years

1999...November:....Former.Congressional.Representative. or.the.State.o .. . . . ....................... . . New.York,.Rick.Lazio,.and.Congressional.Representative.................................. or.the.State.o .New.York,.Eliot.L .Engel,.co-sponsored..................................HR.2422 ..Its.intent.was.to. nally.detail.the.injustices..................................Italian.Americans.su ered.during.World.War.II,.ultimately... . . encouraging.a. ormal.acknowledgement.by.the.President

2000...November.7:....President.Clinton.signed.the.Wartimes.Violation.o .Italian.American.Civil......................................Liberties.Act


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. Students.will.work.in.groups.o .three .They.will.each.be.given.a.map,.atlas,.interview.and..worksheet .They.will.then.do.the. ollowing:

1 . Groups.list.reasons.that.would.make.them.move. rom.their.homes.today.and.where... they.would.go ..2 . Students.read.the.interviews.and.answer.the.questions. rom.the.analysis.worksheet .They.... should.have.a.consensus. or.each.answer ..3 . Using.their.outline.maps,.students.will.locate.and.draw.the.places.where.the.interviewed.. .. came. rom.and.where.they.settled.in.America ..4 . Students.then.discuss.their. ndings.with.the.whole.class ..During.the.discussion.each... group.should.make.note.on.their.outline.maps.where.people.came. rom.in.interviews.read... by.other.student.groups5 . The.teacher.will.make.a.chart.on.the.board.listing.push-.pull. actors ..6 . Students.will.determine.what.reasons.why.people.le t.Italy.based.on.their. ndings.and... recognize.i .the. actors.are.political,.social.or.economic ..

1 . Recognize.the.political,.economic,.and.social.conditions.o .Italy.a ter.18712 . Interpret.primary.sources. rom.individuals.experiences.coming.to.America3 . Distinguish.the.push/pull. actors.that.helped.to.make.the.di cult.decision.to.leave.Italy4 . Understand.the.emotional.hardship.that.could.a ect.the.whole. amily

. Outline.map.o .Italy.and.America. Interviews. rom.individuals.who.emigrated. rom.Italy. ...http://www italiamerica org/id20 htm. Document.analysis.worksheet. Atlas.o .Italy.and.America. ...http://www lib utexas edu/maps/historical/italy_world_atlas_1882 jpg. ...http://www graphicmaps com/webimage/countrys/namerica/.usstates/bwnames htm

T he D ecision To L eave i TaLy

Objectives:

Materials:

Procedure:

Italian Migration and AssimilationItalian Migration and Assimilation
http://www.italiamerica.org/id20.htmhttp://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/italy_world_atlas_1882.jpghttp://www.graphicmaps.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstaes/bwnames.htmhttp://www.graphicmaps.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstaes/bwnames.htmhttp://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/italy_world_atlas_1882.jpghttp://www.italiamerica.org/id20.htm


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. Have.students.create.a.collage.o .images,.symbols,.words.that.would... represent.the.push/.pull. actors.that.the.Italians. aced ..

. Have.students.research.and.chart.emigration.in.Italy. rom.the.1700-1920s... and.create.a.map.and.chart.that.illustrates.the.data

Possible Assessments:

Extension:

7 . The.teacher.will.ensure.that.students.determine.reasons.that.attracted.Italians.to.America .... (Make.sure.to.mention.the.advertising. or.labor.by.the.steamship.agents.and.industry.in... America.along.with.other. amily.members )8 . The.class.will.discuss.their.answers.and.the.teacher.should.ask.them.why.it.would.be.a... di cult.decision.to.make ..9 . The.students.will.then.compare.their.own.reasons. or.moving.with.the.Italians,.and.go... over.their. ndings.in.their.groups

. Students.write.a.letter.to.a. amily.member.back.in.Italy.explaining.their.decision.to.leave.Italy... and.come.to.America .. Students.interview.a. amily.member.or. riend.to. nd.out.where.they.came. rom.and.create.a... scrapbook.o . amily.interviews

When I found that the only way I could prevent my family from starving was to turnto stealing, I decided it was time to leave.

La Storia, Jerre Mangione & Ben Morreale

When I found that the only way I could prevent my family from starving was to turnto stealing, I decided it was time to leave.

La Storia, Jerre Mangione & Ben Morreale


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1 ..Name.o .person.in.interview

2 .Where.did.he/she.come. rom?..What.was.it.like.in.his/her.town?

3 ..What.does.the.person.tell.you.about.his/her.culture,.values,.social.class.and.customs?

4 .How.old.was.the.person.when.he/she.le t.Italy?..How.does.age.make.a.di erence.in.his/her.experiences?

5 ..What.was.the.journey.like.coming.to.America?

6 .Why.do.you.think.this.person.le t.Italy?

7 .Why.did.this.person.want.to.come.to.America?

The Decision to Leave Italy Interview Analysis Worksheet

The Decision to Leave Italy Interview Analysis Worksheet


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. Ask.students.to.think.about.a.stereotype .What.does.this.mean.to.them?.Make.a.list.on.the.board.o .where.we. nd.stereotypes .Is.there.a.di erence.or.a.connection.between.stereotypes.and.prejudice?.Go.over.their.responses .Next,.have.the.students.work.in.pairs .First.handout.the.political.cartoons.o .Italian.Americans .Students.should.answer.the. ollowing.questions:.How.does.the.cartoon.depict.Italian..Americans?.What.types.o .emotions.does.the.picture.evoke?.How.would.the.readers.o .the.times.respond.to.these.pictures?.As.a.class,.go.over.the.responses .Discuss.why.people.would.respond.nega-tively.to.the.new.immigrants .Make.sure.the.students.cover.the.social,.political,.and.economical. actors .Then.have.student.pairs.share.reading.the.news.article.on.Sacco.and.Vanzetti .Have.them.identi y.the.types.o . actors.that.led.to.the.execution .Discuss.why.some.thought.the.two.were.innocent .Have.the.students.think.o .how.the.Italians.overcame.these.attitudes. rom.the.movie

1 . Describe.the.nativists.responses.to.the.new.immigrants2 . Compare.the.stereotypes.o .Italian.Americans.to.the.real.image3 . Consider.how.the.Italian.Americans.overcame.these.obstacles

4 . Identi y.the.social,.economic,.and.political.impacts.o .these.responses

. Political.cartoons.displaying.the.stereotypical.Italian.American. News.article.on.the.Sacco.and.Vanzetti.murder.conviction. http://www nytimes com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0823 html#article

R esponses T o T he n ew i mmigRanTs

Objectives:

Materials:

Procedure:

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0823.html#articlehttp://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0823.html#article


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. Have.students.research.incidents.against.the.Italian.Americans.during.the.turn.o .the... century ..Have.them.present.their. ndings.to.the.class .. Have.them.research.the.evolution.o .19 th.century.racism.and.how.it.a ected.the.new... immigrants.at.the.turn.o .the.century


Extension:

. Create.a.perspective.poster.o .Living.in.America .On.one.side.have.the.responses.o .the.Italian... Americans.to.the.nativists .On.the.other.side,.have.the.nativists.responses.to.the.Italian.Americans .. Have.students.write.about.barriers.they.have.had.to.overcome.in.their.lives.and.how.they... responded.to.them

To the ordinary American, the Italian is a dirty, undersized individual who engages indegrading labor shunned by Americans, and who is often a member of the Mafia, and

as such, likely at any moment to draw a knife and stab you in the back.

Southern Atlantic Quarterly , July 1905

To the ordinary American, the Italian is a dirty, undersized individual who engages indegrading labor shunned by Americans, and who is often a member of the Mafia, and

as such, likely at any moment to draw a knife and stab you in the back.

Southern Atlantic Quarterly , July 1905


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. Ask.students.to.think.about.what.makes.them.who.they.are ..Have.them.come.up.with.ways.

in.which.they.identi y.people ..Have.them.distinguish.between.personality,.roles,.and.their.cultural.identity .A ter.going.over.their.responses,.ask.them.to.think.about.why.our.past.is.so.important ..Point.out.to.them.that.their.values,.traditions,.and.customs.come. rom.past.generations ..I .the.students.can.understand.the.struggles.o .the.past,.it.can.help.to.have.them.understand.themselves ... Next.handout.the.instruction.sheet. or.the.Multimedia.Scrapbook ..Go.over.the.directions ..Have.students.search.the.internet.to.create.their.scrapbook ..They.will.compile.a.powerpoint.scrap-book ..At.the.end.o .the.activity,.the.students.will.share.their.work.with.the.class ..Ask.the.students.again.what.makes.them.who.they.are ..Compare.the. rst.responses.to.their.new.responses

1 . Research.in ormation.through.the.internet. or.the.multimedia.scrapbook2 . Develop.a.multimedia.scrapbook.o .the.Italian.American.Experience3 . Appreciate.the.experiences.the.new.immigrants. aced.in.America4 . Understand.the.value.o .ones.heritage

. Computer.lab.with.internet.accessibility. Scrapbook.Activity.instructions..

Searching for the Italian American Experience

Objectives:

Materials:

Procedure:

. Have.students.make.presentations.o .their.scrapbooks.to.the.class. Have.students.make.a.webpage. or.the.Italian.American.Experience ..

. Have.students.continue.their.research.to. nd.their.own.cultural.identity. Students.would.research.the.immigration.patterns.within.their.own.community


Extension:



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INTRODUCTION:

. How.do.you.identi y.yoursel ?..Do.you.look.at.your.personality.or.do.you..describe.your.characteristics?..Do.you.identi y.yoursel .with.your.cultural.identity?..All..these.characteristics.make.up.the.unique.you ..Your.heritage.is.about.the..past,.the.story,.and.the.struggle.o .your.ancestors ..It.is.what.gives.you.your.values,..customs,.and.traditions ..This.is.what.makes.the.Italian.American.Experience ..

INSTRUCTIONS:..... Your.job.is.to.search. or.the.Italian.American.Experience ..You.will.create.a..scrapbook.o .their.cultural.past ..Use.the.websites.below.to.help.in.your.journey ..Sur ..through.the.internet.to. nd.pictures,.text,.maps,. acts,.quotes,.or.controversies.that..capture.your.journey ..You.will.capture.the.text.and.images.that.you. nd.important.and..then.you.will.put.them.together.in.a.power.point.scrapbook ..Make.it.personal;.it.is.your..story.that.is.being.passed.down.to.the.next.generation ..Be.prepared.to.share.why.you..chose.what.you.did.and.what.it.means.to.you .Your.scrapbook.will.include.the. ollowing..categories:

1 .Your.story.o .why.you.le t.Italy2 .Your.journey.to.America3 .Living.in.America ..Where.did.you.live.and.what.was.your.job?4 .Your.customs.and.traditions.in.America .What.did.you.do.in.America?5 .The.obstacles.you. aced.in.America6 .What.makes.you.an.Italian.American?......

Your Heritage Scrapbook

The Search For The Italian American Experience

Your Heritage Scrapbook

The Search For The Italian American Experience


15/84

SUGGESTED.WEBSITES:

The.American.Immigrant.Home.Page:http://www bergen org/AAST/Projects/Immigration/

Ethnic.America:http://www digitalhistory uh edu/historyonline/ethnic_am c m

Immigration.History.Research.Center:http://www ihrc umn edu/index htm

Immigration:.The.living.Mosaic:http://library thinkquest org/20619/index html

American.Memory.Collection:http://memory loc gov/learn/ eatures/immig/introduction html

Causes. or.Italian.Emigration:http://library thinkquest org/26786/en/articles/view php3?arKey=4&paKey=7&loKey=0 .&evKey=&toKey=25&torKey=0&tolKey=3

Order.Sons.o .Italy.in.America:http://www osia org/public/culture/culture_intro asp

Sicilian.culture:http://www sicilianculture com/news/iaexperience htm

South.Italy.Immigrantshttp://www italiamerica org/id49 htm
http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/Immigration/http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/ethnic_am.cfmhttp://ihrc.umn.edu/index.htmhttp://library.thinkquest.org/20619/index.htmlhttp://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/introduction.htmlhttp://library.thinkquest.org/26786/en/articles/view.php3http://library.thinkquest.org/26786/en/articles/view.php3http://www.osia.org/public/culture_intro.asphttp://www.sicilianculture.com/news/iaexperience.htmhttp://www.italiamerica.org/id49.htmhttp://www.italiamerica.org/id49.htmhttp://www.sicilianculture.com/news/iaexperience.htmhttp://www.osia.org/public/culture_intro.asphttp://library.thinkquest.org/26786/en/articles/view.php3http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/introduction.htmlhttp://library.thinkquest.org/20619/index.htmlhttp://ihrc.umn.edu/index.htmhttp://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/ethnic_am.cfmhttp://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/Immigration/


16/84

. . .. In orm.the.class.that.America.has.just.declared.war.on.Italy,.Germany.and.Japan .Read..

Executive.Order.9066.out.loud .Hand.out.the.identi cation.books.and.have.the.class.complete.them .They.are.to.create.an.Italian.American.person ..Take.pictures.and. ngerprint.them.to.make.the.book.look.o cial ..Have.each.student.register.with.the.teacher.(administrator) ..Each.book.should.be.exam-ined.and.notes.should.be.taken. or.each.student ..Randomly.identi y.some.students.as.enemy.aliens,.some.as.non-citizens,.and.some.as.citizens ..Do.not.answer.any.questions.that.the.students.have.but.rather.have.the.students.report.to.their.assigned.groups.throughout.the.room ..Those.who.are.desig-nated.citizens.keep.their.cards,.but.take.away.something.that.could.be.seen.as.a.threat.to.the.classroom.like.their.books ..Those.who.are.the.non-citizens.are.restricted.to.one.side.o .the.classroom ..They.are.not.allowed.to.cross.a.restricted.line.because.there.are.sensitive.classroom.documents.on.that.side.o .the.classroom.that.they.may.try.to.steal .Finally,.those.who.are.enemy.aliens.are.sent.to.the.internment.camp.at.the.back.o .the.classroom .They.will.always.have.their.backs.to.the.rest.o .the.classroom .... It.is.the.responsibility.o .the.teacher.(administrator).to.maintain.a.sense.o .security.in.the..classroom.by.identi ying.those.who.would.be.a.threat.to.the.nation.and.the.school .The.threat.o .spies.and.sabotage.could.hurt.the.U S ..There ore.anyone.who.is.Italian.American.could.be.a.threat.to..national.security ..Each.group.should.decide.what.makes.them.an.enemy?..How.could.they.be.a.threat.to.national.security?.What.could.you.do.and.not.do.under.this.classi cation?..How.did.you. eel.when.you.were.identi ed?...Go.over.their.responses ..Discuss.the.treatment.o .Italian.Americans.during.World.War.II ...Why.would.the.U S .think.that.they.would.be.a.threat.to.national.security?..What.was.the.socio-economic.impact.o .Italian.Americans.because.o .this?...

1 . Distinguish.the.various.categories.by.which.the.U S .treated.the.Italian.Americans2 . Understand.how.the.Italian.Americans. elt.during.World.War.II3 . Evaluate.the.procedure.to.determine.who.is.an.enemy.o .the.state.

. Executive.Order.9066.. Identi cation.Books..

Identification Card Policy for NationalSecurity

Objectives:

Materials:

Procedure:

WWII Changes In At t itudes, Soldiers,Internment, and POWs

WWII Changes In At ti tudes, Soldiers,Internment, and POWs


17/84

. Write.a.letter.to.the.newspaper.describing.how.you.were.treated.during.World.War.II. Create.a.Poster.identi ying.the.experience.o .the.Italian.American.during.World.War.II.

. Research.other.countries.that.have.used.identi cation.cards.to.control.people.( or... example,.South.A rica) ... Compare.the.treatment.o .Italian.Americans.to.Arab.Americans.a ter.September.11


Extension:

I recall receiving an Americanization Award from the american legion post at waltonelementary school. It was given to us if we did not speak italian and if we put

aside italian culture. I did not have the heart to tell my father the meaning of thisaward so I told him that I got it for good grades in school.

Resident, Akron, OH.

I recall receiving an Americanization Award from the american legion post at waltonelementary school. It was given to us if we did not speak italian and if we put

aside italian culture. I did not have the heart to tell my father the meaning of thisaward so I told him that I got it for good grades in school.

Resident, Akron, OH.


18/84

Major.myth:.Italians.and.Germans.were.never.a ected

For.organizational.purposes.I.have.divided.this.paper.into. ve.parts,.but.keep.in.mind.that.events.were..happening.simultaneously

. I . Policy.initiatives

. II . Public.pressure.rises

. III . Tolan.Committees.infuence

. IV. Executive.Order.9066

. V. Policy.reversal

I.-.Policy.Initiatives

In.late.January.1942,.a ter. nearly.a. month.o .contentious.negotiations.between.the.Justice. and.War.

Departments,. the. government. decided. to. relocate. all. enemy. aliensItalians,. Germans,. and.

Japanese. ourteen.years.o .age.and.olderaway. rom.strategic.areas.on.the.West.Coast ....The.most.persistent.advocate.o .this.sweeping.policy.was.the.War.Departments.man-on-the-scene.in.

San.Francisco,.Lieutenant.General.John.L .DeWitt .DeWitt.may.have.been.a.reluctant.recruit.to.the.notion.

.o .relocating.the.Japanese,.as.earlier.historians.and.others.have.shown,.but.he.consistently.led.the.way.in.

pushing. or.the.relocation.o .Italians.and.Germans,.commencing.in.mid-December.1941 .

...The.well.being.o .the.enemy.alien.population.took.an.initial.ominous.direction.when,.less.than.two.

weeks.a ter.Pearl.Harbor,.General.DeWitt.gave.in.to.panic,.apparently.because.o .some.scare.stories.about.

the.activities.o .Japanese.on.the.West.Coast .He. recommended.to.the.War.Departmentthe. rst.o .many.

such.occasionsthat. all .enemy.aliens,.regardless.o .nationality,.be.removed.to.the.interior

. . .From.late.December.to. early.January,. the.War.and.Justice.Departments.were. locked.in. a.behind-the-.

scenes.struggle. or.control.over.the.aliens .Both.the.FBI.and.the.War.Department.wanted.Justice.to.take.

tougher.measures .DeWitt,.in. act,.had.been.asked.to.recommend.that.the.War.Department.assume.con-

trol .Major.Karl.R .Bendetsen,.at.that.moment.a.uni ormed.lawyer.in.the.judge.advocate.generals.o ce,.

Stephen Fox Ph.D.

Uncovering The Myths of ItalianAmerican Relocation

Uncovering The Myths of ItalianAmerican Relocation


19/84

suggested. to.DeWitt. that. unless. the. attorney.general. agreed.immediately. to. a. program. o .enemy. alien.

restrictions. en orced.by.the. FBI. at.its.discretion,. the. general. should. get. President. Roosevelt. to. trans er.

authority. rom.the.attorney.general.to.the.secretary.o .war .DeWitt.needed.little.more.encouragement .The.

next.day.he.proposed.that.the.FBI.be.given.blanket.authority.to.go.a ter.the.aliens,.who.he.accused.o .

disloyalty:.We.cant. ool.around,.he.warned ...

This. pressure,. combined. with. the. deteriorating. military. situation. in. the. Paci c,. eroded. the. will. o .

top.Justice.Department.o cials.to.resist.the.armys.demands .A ter.a.series.o .civil.but. rank.meetings,.

representatives.o .the.two.departments.agreed.on.January.6.to.an.alien.relocation.policy.(minus.the.details).

that. avored.a.military.solution

II..Public.Pressure

Ironically,. just.a ter.the. attack.on. Pearl.Harbor,.when. the. United. States. was. most.vulnerable,.there.

was. little. public.pressure.to. lock. up.enemy.aliens .Not. until.the.hastily. convened.Roberts.Commission.

(named. or.Supreme.Court.Justice.Owen.J .Roberts).released.its.report.nearly.two.months.laterimplying.

that.Japanese.Americans.on.Oahu.had.aided.Japans.air.assaultdid.the.pressure.to.do.something.about.

Axis.aliens.on.the.mainland.commence.in.earnest .And. rom.the.start,.nearly.everyone.who.had.an.opinion.

on.the.subject.o .alien.restrictions.wanted.the.Italian.and.German.aliens.treated.exactly.like.the.Japanese

The. political. pressure. that. drove. alien. policy. paralleled. the. bad. news. rom. the. Paci c . In. the.con usion,.desperation,.and.panic,.the.politicians.were.extended.an.unlimited.mandate.to.act .Resolutions.

rom.citizens,.city.councils,.chambers.o .commerce,.boards.o .supervisors,.Congress,.and.law.en orcement.

o cials.urging.swi t.action.were.stacked.higher.and.higher.each.day.on.the.desks.o .responsible.o cials,.

including.the.Presidents .

Two.days.a ter.the.release.o .the.Roberts.Commission.report,.Cali ornia.governor.Culbert.Olson.told.

General.DeWitt.that. ederal.action.was.imperative .I .nothing.was.done,.he.predicted,.The.people.may.

take.things.in.their.own.hands .In.Washington,.Major.Bendetsen,.now.trans erred.to.the.o ce.o .Provost.

Marshal.General.Allen.W .Gullion,.told.DeWitt.on.January.29.that.the.Cali ornia.congressional.delegation.

was.beginning.to.get.up.in.arms,.and.had.scheduled.an.in ormal.meeting.the.next.day.to. ormulate.reso-.

lutions .Bendetsen.attended.the.meeting,.where.he.expressed.DeWitts.view.that.the.army.was.willing.to.

take. control. o . the. aliens. rom. the. Justice. Department,. i . DeWitt. were. assured. that. the. army. had. the.

authority.to. orce.other.agencies.to.cooperate .


20/84

Bendetsen.was.right .On.January.29,.the.Justice.Department.announced.that,.on.the.recommendation.o .

the.secretary.o .war,.a ter.consultation.with.General.DeWitt,. all .enemy.aliens.would.be.required.to.vacate.

speci ed.areas.o .the.West.Coast .Subsequently,.the.Cali ornia.congressional.delegation. unanimously .ap-.

proved. a. resolution. calling. or. the. evacuation. and. internment. o . all . enemy. aliens. and. dual. citizens,.

regardless.o .whether.their.children.were.American-born .This.resolution,.which.the.delegation.sent.to.the.

War.Department,.did.not.re er.speci cally.to. the.Japanese .The.leader.o . the.group,.Rep .Clarence.F .Lea

o .Santa.Rosa,.stated.that.evacuation.would.be.only.the. rst.step;.that.ultimately. all o .the.aliens.would.be.

humanely.resettled,.initially.in.Civilian.Conservation.Corps.(CCC).camps

A.meeting.in.early.February.between.Cali ornia.Attorney.General.Earl.Warren.and.law.en orcement.

o cials. rom.across.the.state,.convened. or.the.purpose.o .using.Cali ornias.Alien.Land.Law.to.remove.

Japanese. aliens. rom. strategic. areas,. turned.into. a. secondary.debate. about. what. to.do.with. the. Italians.

and.Germans .A.minority.o .delegates.(one-eighth). elt.that.the.groups. ormal.resolution.calling. or.the.evacuation.o .Japanese.aliens.ought.to.apply.to.the.European.aliens.as.well .The.San.Diego.County.district.

attorney.suggested,.ironically,.that.the.Italians.and.Germans.posed.the.greater.danger:.You.can.always.tell.

a.Jap.when.you.see.one,.but.as. or.a.German.or.an.Italian,.they.can.get.by .They.are.the.ones.who.are.most.

di cult.o .the.three.to.detect .

The.discussion.continued .Attorney.General.Warren.and.others.argued.that.the.Alien.Land.Law.could.

not.be.applied.to.the.Italians.and.Germans.because.the.Japanese.problem.was.unique.to.Cali ornia .But.

the.district.attorney.o .Stanislaus.County.countered:.

Still,. a. resolution. avoring. only. a. Japanese. removal.went. orward. to. the. secretary. o .war,. but. with. the.

con erees.expectation.that.the. ederal.government.would.eventually. nd.a.way.to.deal.with.the.Italians.

and.Germans

Local.governments.were.among.the. rst.to. all.in.line .Seventeen.counties,.along.with.the.statewide.

County.Supervisors.Association,.urged.alien.evacuation.in. ormal.resolutions;.the.Los.Angeles.County.board.

was.the. rst.to.take.the.plunge.on.January.27 .Another.motion.be ore.the.Association.recommending.evacu-

ation.o .non-Japanese.enemy.aliens.was.de eated .Assistant.Secretary.o .War.McCloy.would.shortly.re er.to.

the.pressures.emanating. rom.local.sources.in.Cali ornia.as.drastic.and.unintelligent .

Supervisory. resolutions. rom. Placer,. Orange,. and. Yolo. counties. called. or. the. removal. o . enemy.

When we go to recommend action to the Federal Government, I think we would be very glad to say it

is the sense o this group that they ought to exclude every enemy alien, Japs and all the others rom this

area


21/84


22/84

without.delay .Washington.o cials.were.warned.on.March.3.that.opinion.in.the.major.Los.Angeles.and

San.Francisco.dailies.revealed.an.ugly.public.mood.and.the.possibility.o .mob.violence. i .the.army.

did.not.move.swi tly .The.Los.Angeles.Council.o .Cali ornia.Womens.Clubs.petitioned.General.DeWitt.to.

place.all.enemy.aliens.in.concentration.camps.immediately,.and.the.Young.Democratic.Club.o .Los.Angeles.

went.a.step. urther,.demanding.the.removal.o .American-born.Italians.and.GermansU S .citizens rom.

the.Paci c.Coast

Faced.with.congressional.demands.to.expel.all.enemy.aliens.and.their. amiliesan.action.supported.

by.State.Attorney.General.Earl.Warrenand.the.added.public.pressure,.DeWitt.concludedagainthat. all

enemy.aliens.should.be.removed. rom.the.West.Coast .The.general.trumpeted.his.new.mood:.I.do.not. eel.

that.it.is.incumbent.upon.this.country.to.be.sentimental.in.this.matter ...

As.previously.mentioned,.DeWitt.had.announced.on.January.29.that.he.was.prepared.to.take.over.the.

alien.program. rom.the.Justice.Department .Subsequently,.Secretary.o .War.Stimson.declared.that.enemy.

aliens.would.have.to.move.out.o .Category.A.prohibited.areas.in.the.western.halves.o .the.Paci c.states.

and. southern. Arizona. (primarily. water ront. locations. and. areas. surrounding. and. adjacent. to. de ense.

industries,.power.plants,.reservoirs.and.the.like).by.February.24 .There.would.be.no.exceptions .

The. ever-resource ul. Bendetsen. now. o ered. a. tactical. ploy. to. thwart. the. Justice. Departments.

constitutional.objections:.the.attorney.general.might.accept.a.policy.o .excluding.aliens.and.citizens. rom.

prohibited.and.restricted.zones,.i .such.a.program.provided. or.licensing.selected.residents.to.return.later .

That.way,. Bendetsen. calculated,. the. squeamish. civilians. in. the. Justice. Department.would.not. appear. to.discriminate. against.a.particular.class.o .people .DeWitt. mused.that.Biddle. and.his.men. were. just.try-

ing.to.cover.themselves.by.criticizing.the.army .He.boasted.that.the.job.o .removing.Italian,.German,.and.

Japanese.aliensas.well.as.Japanese.American.citizenswould.not.be.too.big.even.i .it.involved.as.many.as.

100,000.people.(a.low.estimate.as.it.turned.out) .

Although.Attorney. General. Biddle. did. not. orthrightly. con ront. the. army,. he.did. not. give.upyet .

At.a. luncheon.in.early.February,.he. solicited.the.Presidents.support .According.to.Biddle,.I.emphasized.

the. danger.o . the. hysteria moving.east. and.a ecting. the. Italian. and.German. population. in.Boston. and.

New.York .We.dont.know.how.seriously.Roosevelt.took.this.warning;.later.the.President.would.endorse.

Biddles.position.completely,.as.though.it.had.been.his.own .But.the.point.Biddle.made.was.one.that.the.po-

litically.sensitive.President.could.ill.a ord.to.ignore ..


23/84

III..Tolan.Committee

As.the.aliens.prepared.to.leave,.a.congressional.committee,.sympathetic.to.the.plight.o .the.European.

aliensbut.not.the.Japanesebegan.public.hearings.into.relocation.and.internment .It.issued.periodic.re-.

ports.o .its. ndings.and.recommendations,.and.met. requently.with.Stimsons.closest.associate.in.the.War.

Department,.John.McCloy .From.February.21two.days.a ter.President.Roosevelt.signed.Executive.Order.

9066through.March.12,.the.House.o .Representatives.Select.Committee.Investigating.National.De ense

Migration.staged.successive.hearings.on.the.West.Coast .The.Tolan.Committee,.so-named. or.its.chairman,.

John.H .Tolan,.hoped.to.exert.a.calming.infuence.by.publicizing.the.impact.o .the.relocation.program.on.the.

economic.and.social. abric.o .the.West.Coast ....

Like.the.law.en orcement.o cials.queried.by.Earl.Warren.and.mentioned.earlier,.Tolan.Committee.

witnesses.were.split.as.to.whether.Italian.and.German.aliens.should.be.treated.the.same.as.the.Japanese .

Most.thought.not .But.the.hearings.had. orced.a.reconsideration.o .DeWitts.plan

IV..Executive.Order.9066

The.FBI.began.to.back.away. rom.DeWitts.grandiose.scheme .The.Bureau.had.concluded.that.Italians.

and.Germans.would.be.harder.than.Japanese.to.pick.out.o .the.general.population,.increasing.the.di culty.

o .DeWitts.task .It.was.at.this.moment.that.the.delegation. rom.the.Committee.to.Aid.Italians.Loyal.to.

the.United.States.in.San.Francisco.warned.a.member.o .DeWitts.sta .that.moving.Italians.was.a. signi -cantly.greater.logistical.problem.than.relocating.the.smaller.number.o .Japanese,.and.the.group.threatened.

litigation

In.Washington,.o cials.struggled.to. nd.a.way.to.match.these.realities.in.Cali ornia,.much-infuenced.

by. the. Tolan. hearings,. with. their. own. requirements. or. national. security . Assistant. Secretary. o . War.

McCloy. tried. to. bring. DeWitt. closer. to. heel:. There. are. so. many. that. would. be. involved. in. a. mass.

withdrawal,.the.social.and.economic.disturbances.would.be.so.great.that.we.would.like.to.go.a. little.slow.

on. it. DeWitt. appeared. to. concur,. saying. that. or. the. time. being. he.would. deal. with. the. Italians. and.

Germans.as.individuals.and.concentrate.on.getting.out.all.the.Japanese .

But. documents. unavailable. to. the. Tolan. Committee. show. that. DeWitt. and. the. provost. marshal.

generals. o ce. remained. wedded. to. a. course. o . mass relocation . The. Senate. Committee. on. Military.

A airs,. looking. into. relocation. on. its. own. in.Washington,. tried,. with. little. success,. to. learn. rom. the.

provost.marshal.generals.o ce.how.many.enemy.aliens.there.were.and.how.many.the.army.wanted.to.re-


24/84

move .The.committee.wanted.an.estimate.o .the.nationwide.impact.since,.as.it.concluded,.based.on.the.logic.

o .what.it.was.hearing,.The.same.thing.is.going.to.have.to.be.done.on.the.East.Coast .The.PMGs.represen-

tative.replied.that.about.100,000.people.would.be.put.in.concentration.camps,.60.percent.o .them.Japanese.

and.the.remainder,.about.40,000,.divided.equally.between.the.two.European.enemy.alien.groups

In.its.preliminary. ndings.o .March.19,.the.Tolan.Committee.expressed.its. ear.about.the.size.o .such.

an.expulsion.in.unambiguous.terms .The.government,.it.pointed.out.by.way.o .analogy.to.the.Italians.and.

Germans,.had.not.removed.the.Japanese. rom.Hawaii,.despite.the.obvious.threat.to.American.security.there,.

because.the.Japanese.made.up.37.percent.o .Hawaiis.population .On.the.other.hand,.the.Japanese.were.only.

1.percent.o .the.population.o .the.Paci c.states .The.committee.concluded,..

State.authorities.took.the.hint .Now,.most.o . the.Cali ornia.congressional.delegation.did.not. avor.the.

mass.expulsion.o .Italians.and.Germans,.a.reversal.o .their.earlier,.unanimous.backing.o .DeWitt .Earl

Warren.told.the.Cali ornia.Joint.Immigration.Committee.that.it.would.be.disruptive.o .national.unity.and.

a.crime.to.expel.Italian.and.German.aliens,. or.despite.their.governments.at.home,.they.were.just.like.ev-

erybody.elsethat.is,.they.were.not.Japanese

Biddles.reluctance.to.endorse.General.DeWitts.plan.received.the.endorsement.o .a.trio.o .respected.Washington.lawyers .Backed.by.the.attorney.general,.they.issued.an.advisory.recommendationclearly.iso-

lating.the.Japanese. rom.the.other.enemy.nationalitiesthat.accurately. orecast. uture.policy:

The. War. Department. proceeded. on. this. understanding . By. February. 11,. Stimson. had. decided. to.

recommend.to.the.President.that.Italians.and.Germans.not.be.expelled. or.the.time.being .Roosevelt,.who,.

according.to.Stimson,.supported.this.idea.in.principle,.shied.away. rom.a.personal.commitment,.telling.the.

secretary.to.do.what.he.thought.best.under.the.circumstances .

Persons o Japanese descent constitute the smallest denable class upon which those with the militaryresponsibility or deense would reasonably determine to impose restrictions The Japanese problem isa special problem Similar dangers o disloyal activities by citizens o other racial stocks cannot, and,in act, need not be handled in the same way It would present an insuperable problem o administration, not to mention the consequent disruption o deense production, to bar the millions o

persons o German and Italian stock rom either seacoast area

The numbers involved [in the Japanese evacuation] are large, but they are by no means as large, or the whole country, as those who will be involved i we generalize the current treatment o the Japanese

to apply to all Axis aliens and their immediate amilies Any such proposal is out o the question i we intend to win this war


25/84

McCloy. in ormed. Bendetsen. that. the. President. had. de erred. to. the. secretary. o . war,. and,. in. turn,.

Bendetsen.advised.DeWitt.that.Stimson.probably.would.not.approve.a.recommendation.to.evacuate.the.entire.

coastal.strip .Stimson.then.met.with.McCloy.and.Clark.to. ormulate.a.strategy.to.derail.DeWitts.ambitious.

plans,.and.told.them.that.DeWitt.was.asking. or.too.much.i .he.expected.to.expel.120,000.people. rom.the.

West.Coast .This.is.one.o .those.jobs,.Stimson.cautioned,.that.is.so.big.that it.just.couldnt.be.done .

Army.historian.Stetson.Conn.estimates.that.DeWitts.recommendations. or.Category.A.areas,.i .accepted,.

would.have.necessitated.the.removal.o .nearly.eighty-nine.thousand.enemy.aliens,.nine-tenths.o .the.West.

Coast.Germans,.nearly.three- ourths.o .the.Italians,.but.less.than.two-thirds.o .the.Japanese ...

On. St . Valentines. Day,. DeWitt. submitted. his. nal. report. on. the. West. Coast. situation. to. the. War.

Department . He. anticipated. expulsion. o . 133,000. peopleperhaps. all. enemy. aliens rom. expanded.

Category. A. zones. (now. termed. military. areas) . Ironically,. most. o . those. residing. in. or. near. the. most.

sensitive.strategic.points.were.Italian.and.German.aliens,.not.Japanese

Thus,.the.momentum.had.swung.back.to.the.extremists .The.political.pressure. rom.the.West.Coast,.

DeWitts.buoyant.and.sweeping.recommendation,.sympathy.at.the.highest.level.o .the.War.Department. or.

removal.o .the. Japanese,.and.the. abject. surrender. o .Attorney.General.Biddle. were.power ul.persuaders.

that.le t.the.President. ew.options .Not.even.Biddles.closest.aides.realized.the.depth.o .his.capitulation .A

nal.series.o .con erences.between.the.two.departments.provided.Roosevelt.with.the.consensus.he.needed.

to.act .The.attorney. general.kept.his. counsel. and. remained.a. team.player .Despite.his. reservations,.Bid-

dle. disingenuously. told. Roosevelt. that. no. dispute. existed. between. the. Justice. and.War. Departments .Thus,. because. alien. relocation. was. not. presented. as. a. matter. o . interdepartmental. controversy,. the. War.

Departments.recommendation.never.received.a.thorough.presidential.review.

In.approving.a. dra t.o . the.executive.relocationor.exclusionorder,.9066,.Stimson.con essed.in.his.

diary:.I.have.no.illusions.as.to.the.magnitude.o .the.task.that.lies.be ore.us .Some.o cialsBiddle. or.

examplebelieved.the.order.only.a ected.the.Japanese .But.a.postwar.investigation.conducted.by.the.War.

Department.concluded.that.when.the.President.signed.the.executive.order.on.February.19,.some.o cers.be-

lieved.it.applied.to.the.Italians.and.Germans.as.well .Governor.Olson.thought.so,.and.certainly.the.Italian.and.

German.aliens.believed.that.they.might.still.be.relocated .And.they.were.not.wrong

V..Policy.Reversal

Astonishingly,.the.possibility.o .more.drastic.action.resur aced .Biddle.now.wrote.FDR.that.he. eared.


26/84

the. army.planned. to.evacuate.enemy.aliens. rom.the.East.Coast. as.well .Stimson,.who.saw.the.attorney.

generals.letter,.sought.to.ease.the.Presidents.mind,.calling.the.notion. oolish .There.would.be.no.mass.

evacuation. o . the. East.Coast,.Roosevelt. assured. the. shaky.Biddle . But. the. secretary. was. being. slightly.

disingenuous,. providing. he.knew.what.his.assistant. was. up.to .For. McCloy. had.written.General. Joseph.

McNarney,.chie .o .the.Army.Field.Forces,.that,.as.the.war.progressed,.it.might.be.necessary.to.remove.

Italian.and.German.aliens. rom.the.East.and.Gul .coasts .McCloy.went.so. ar.as.to.suggest.that.McNar-

ney.send.his.eastern.and.southern.de ense.commanders.to.the.West.Coast.to.study.the.evacuation.methods.

being.employed.there ..

Stimson.may.have.been.believed.that.the.problem.on.the.East.Coast.had.been.laid.to.rest,.which.it.had.

not,.but.he.still.had.to.sell.the.idea.o .a.limited.relocation.to.his.o cers.out.West .DeWitt.continued.to.oppose.

the.suggestion.that.individual.loyalty.examinations.might.be.a.way.to.sort.through.the.aliens,.and.Bendetsen.

agreed.that.there.were.a.lot.o .dangerous.Italians.and.Germans.out.on.the.coast.who.had.to.be.removed .

At. this. delicate.moment,. Lt . General. Hugh.A .Drum,. commanding.general. o . the. Eastern. De ense.

Command,.publicly.announced.his.intention.to.establish.prohibited.and.restricted.areas.covering.the.entire.

Atlantic.seaboard.and.inlandsome.sixteen.states.and. ty-two.million.people .Thus.were.the.worst. ears.

o . the. Tolan. Committee. ul lled . Stimson. assured. Tolan. that. he. shared. the. congressmans. concern .

McCloy,.too,.expressed.complete.sympathy:.I.believe.we.have.a.common.approach.to.this.problem .

Nonetheless,.he.took.the.precaution.o .meeting.again.with.a.Tolan.Committee.sta .person.on.May.7,.re-.

sulting.in.a.committee.request.that.the.President.put.out.a.revised.order.precluding.alien.relocation.in.areas.other.than.the.West.Coast

Now.it.was.the.Presidents.turn.to.underestimate.DeWitt .Although.FDR.had.resolved.the.East.Coast.

situationhe. thoughtGeneral. DeWitt. still. had. not. been. corralled . It. was. Tom. Clark. who. rekindled.

concerns. about. DeWitts. objective . He. wrote. Biddles. assistant. that,. Anyone. who. had. the. idea. that.

General. DeWitt. is. going. to. delay. the. evacuation. o . German. and. Italian. aliens. is. in. error . He. has.

consistently.said.publicly.and.otherwise.that.he.intends.to.evacuate.these.groups.as.soon.as.his.program.with.

re erence.to.the.Japanese.is.completed .

Roosevelt,. by. now. thoroughly. alarmed. by. the. repeated. warnings. rom. the. Justice. Department. and.

complaints. rom. Capitol. Hill. and.New.York,. swung. into. action . He.ordered. Stimson. to. take. no.action.

against.Italian.or.German.aliens.on.the.East.Coast.without. rst.consulting.himperiod .Alien.control,.he.

said,.except. or.the.Japanese,.was.a.civilian.matter,.and.all.this.talk.about.evacuations.was.having.a.bad.

e ect.on.morale .


27/84

But.the.inde atigable.DeWitt.pressed.on,.threatening.in.early.May.to.put.six.to.ten.thousand.Ital-

ians.and.Germans.in.relocation.centers.in.a.manner.similar.to.that.employed.in.the.case.o .persons.o .

Japanese.ancestry .Bendetsen.warned.McCloy.that.the.general.was.serious .He.added.that.i .the.Jus-

tice.Department. ailed.to.act.more.diligently,.the.War.Department.should.exert.energy.under.Executive.

Order.9066.similar.to.that.taken.in.the.evacuation.o .the.Japanese

When.the.War.Department.conducted.a.series.o .internal.con erences.on.May.15.to.prepare.Stimson.

or.a.cabinet.meeting.later.that.day,.it.had.the.Tolan.Committees.latest.report.at.hand .The.congressmen.

were.continuing.to.hammer.home.the.logic.o .their.earlier.paper:.the.size.o .the.Italian.and.German.

communitiesmore.diverse.and.ten.times.larger.than.the.Japanesepresented.problems.more.vast.

and. ar.reaching.than.the.Japanese .Emergency.measures.must.not.be.permitted.to.alter.permanently.

those. undamental.principles.upon.which.this.Nation.was.built ....

Clearly,.the.conclusions.o .the.Tolan.Committee.were.a ecting.attitudes.in.the.War.Department .

Stimson.recommended.that.the.President.order.no.mass.relocation.o .European.aliensanywhere .

Later,.the.President.should.merely.empower.commanders.on.both.coasts.to.exclude.individuals,.both.

aliens.and.citizens,.based.entirely.on.military.necessity.and.Executive.Order.9066,.and.DeWitt.was.so.

ordered .

By.late.June,.with.the.Japanese.gone,.General.DeWitt.bowed.to.the.inevitable.and.abolished.the.

six-months-old.prohibited.and.restricted.zones.(except.in.certain.sensitive.areas).in.the.Western.De ense.

Command ....On.Columbus.Day,.October.12,.1942,.Attorney.General.Biddle.announced.that.Italian.aliens.in.the.

United.States.would.no.longer.be.considered.enemies .The.discom ort.and.anxiety.o .the.aliens.and.

their. amilies.was.over .Justice.Department.o cials,.civilians. in.the.War.Department,.and.strategic.

members.o .congress. nally.realized.that.it.was.neither. easible.nor.necessary.to.remove.Italian.and.

German.aliens.en.masse .The.principal.consideration.in.taking.the.decision.was.that.relocation.would.

create.a.logistical.nightmare,.spark.economic.dislocation,.and.lower.public.morale .

Retreat.had.been.sounded;.reason.would.prevail,.at.least. or.the.European.aliens

.Stephen.Fox


28/84

Why.was.it.done?.Did.the.government.believe.that.moving.European.enemy.aliens.a.only.a. ew.blocks.

rom.the.water rontor.across.the.streetwould.lessen.the.danger?.Apparently .But.more. undamentally,.

o cials.simply.panicked .Following.the.Japanese.attack.at.Pearl.Harbor,.American.o cials.were.under.in-

tense.political.pressure.to.do.something.to.prevent.alien.sabotage.and.espionage .Italian.and.German.aliens.

and.their. amiliesalong.with.the.Japanesewere.viewed.as.serious.threats.to.American.security .Later.the.

military.came.very.close.to.relocating.the.Italians.on.the.East.Coast.as.well .

From.documents.the.government.is.willing.to.release,.we.know.that.on.February.15.and.24,.1942,. or.

reasons.o .military.necessity,.approximately.ten.thousand.enemy.aliens.were.prohibited.residence,.work,.

or.travel.to.restricted.zones.along.the.West.Coast .But.weeks.later,.a ter.Congress.had.begun.to.investigate.

the.e ects.o .the.relocation.order.on.the.economy.and.society,.it.dawned.on.the.War.Department.that.i .

they.relocated.and. interned.hundreds.o . thousandsperhaps.millionso .Italians.and.Germans.(logic.at.

rst.seemed.to.dictate.that.American.citizens.o .Italian.ancestry.might.be.just.as.dangerous.as. the.aliens).

it.would.overstretch.the.armys.logistics,.threaten.the.countrys.de ense.industrieswhich.employed.tens.

o .thousands.o .people.o .Italian.and.German.ancestryand.lower.civilian.morale .Particularly.hard.hit.

were.those.areas.where.Italians.dominated.the.local.economy,.such.as.the.coastal. shing.industry .(None.o .these. concerns. pertained. to. the. much. smaller. Japanese. American. populationracial. targets. or. many.

yearsand.they.were.quickly.moved.to.camps.en.masse ).

On.June.27,.1942,.the.government,.realizing.it.had.made.a.mistake,.relented.and.allowed.the.Italians.to.

return.to.their.homes.and.jobs .Finally,.on.Columbus.Day,.October.12,.1942,.the.Italians.were.removed. rom.

It was not until the early 1980s that I frst heard about the relocation o West Coast Italians duringWorld War II. A student in my class on the war asked i I knew that the government had orced them

to move out o the water ront areas o Arcata and Eureka, Cali ornia. I didnt, and I was embarrassed. A quick trip to the library proved him correct: Italian and German aliens, who the U.S. government designated as enemy aliens, had been relocated up and down the West Coast in 1942. But with theexception o the aliens and their amilies, everyone I spoke to in the next ew years was as ignorant as I

had been about the operation. Stephen.Fox

Stephen Fox Ph.D.

Overview Of Internment, Relocationand Exclusion

Overview Of Internment, Relocationand Exclusion


29/84

the.enemy.alien.category.altogether .

Despite. all. o . the. governments.meticulous. record-keeping,.. its. archives. are. totally. silent. about. the.

actual. experiences. o . Italian. aliens. during. the. our. to. eight. months. they. were. kept. away. rom. their.

homes.and.jobs .To.understand.that.part. o .the.story,.which.seemed.to.me. the.most. important. eature,.I.

interviewed. dozens. o . Cali ornia. people. who. had. been. relocatedor. surviving. amily. membersand.

told. their.stories. in.my.book,. The Unknown Internment (since. republished.as. Uncivil Liberties: Italian

Americans Under Siege during World War II )

For.those.with.sons.in.the.armed. orces,.those.who.were.moved,.those.whose. amily.responsibilities.

increased.as.a.result.o .the.relocation,.or.those.who.lost.property,.the.experience.was.di cult.and.has.le t.a

legacy.o .bitterness .For.others,.it.was.a.matter.o .adjusting.to.a.new.way.o .li e,.or,.in.a. ew.cases,.a.bet-

ter.li e .Most.o .the.Italians.accepted.their. ates.as.the.consequence.o .a.war.that.threatened.their.adopted.

homeland,.but.nearly.all.o .them.thought.it.was.crazy

This.story.shows.againand.it.seems.particularly.relevant. ollowing.September.11,.2001that.it.is.

possible. or. the. United. States,. proud.o . its. traditions.o .democracy,. individual. liberty,. and. air. play,. to.

come.near.to.losing.its.soul.in.a.time.o .crisis,.even.during.a.good.war .Americans,.as.they.have.in.the.

past,.will.continue.to. ace.di cult.choices.in.moments.o .crisis,.when.the.popularity.o .cracking.down.on.

enemy.aliens.dictates.policy.and.threatens.civil.liberties .

There.has.been.an.o cial.acknowledgment,.but.a.less-than- ull.accounting.o .what.happened.in.1942 .

President.Bill.Clinton.signed.the.Wartime.Violations.o .Italian.American.Civil.Liberties.Act.(PL.106-.

451).on.November.7,.2000 .The.law.gave.the.Justice.Department.a.year.to.report.on.the.governments.

internment,. exclusion,. and.other. harassment. o . Italian.Americans. during. the. war . But. the. report. is. ar.

rom.complete,.which.the.government.admits .In.addition.to.the.thousands.who.were.relocatedbut.are.

not. namedit. lists. only. ty-nine. Italian.Americans. as. either. excluded. or. arraigned. be ore. individual.

exclusion.boards .As. or.individually.interned.Italians,.the.Immigration.and.Naturalization.Service.reveals.

that.it.detained.3,278.Italian.Americans,.including.voluntary.internees.and.those.deported.to.the.United.

States. rom.Latin.America .The.Justice.Department.says.418.o .them.were.interned. or.varying.lengths.o .

time .

..Stephen.Fox


30/84

...Ask.the.students.to.recall.the.segment.in. Prisoners Among Us ,.o .those.who..ought.in.World.War.II ..Have.them.discuss.the.situations.these.men.were. aced.with..both.on.the.home. ront.and.on.the.line .Have.the.students.examine.the.question.that.the..army.recruiter.asked;.What.happens.i .you.had.to. ght.against.a. amily.member.while..in.Italy?.How.would.they.respond.to.that.question?..Ask.the.students.how.hard.would.it.be.to. ght. or.your.country.when.your.country.did.not.trust.your. amily?..Would.you..have.something.to.prove?.........Point.out.that.some.men.went.beyond.the.call.o .duty.to.protect.their.company ..Thus,.they.were.given.the.nations.highest.military.award,.The.Medal.o .Honor ..In. act,..thirteen,.the.largest.group.earned.during.World.War.II,.were.given.to.Italian.Americans ...

Have.the.students.read.about. our.recipients.o .the.Medal.o .Honor ..They.are.Sgt .John..Basilone,.USMC,.Sgt .Anthony.Damato,.USMC,.P c .Gino.Merli,.US.Army,.and.T/Sgt ..Peter.J .Dalessendro,.US.Army ..Have.the.students.complete.the.Medal.o .Honor..Worksheet ...Go.over.their.responses ..Have. students decide.what.is.beyond.the.call.o ..duty .Those.who. ought.in.World.War.II.should.be.recognized ..Ask.students.to.come.up..ways.to.recognize.them.in.their.community .How.do.we.continue.to.honor.those.who..ght.to.protect.our.country?

1 . Consider.the.di culty.o .the.Italian.American.solider.to.prove.his.loyalty2 . Summarize.the.citations.o . our.soldiers.to.receive.the.Medal.o .Honor

3 . Recognize.the.e orts.made.by.the.Italian.American.soldier.during.World.War.II

. http://www medalo honor com/JohnBasilone htm.............................Medal.o .Honor.Website. Medal.o .Honor.Worksheet ..

Celebration of the Italian AmericanSoldier

Objectives:

Materials:

Procedure:

WWII Changes In At titudes, Soldiers,Internment, and POWs

http://medalofhonor.com/JohnBasilone.htmhttp://medalofhonor.com/JohnBasilone.htm


31/84

. Have.students.visit.the. National.World.War.II.Memorial. site ..They.will.work.in... groups.to.design.a.World.War.II.memorial. or.their.school ... Write.letters.to.World.War.II.veterans.within.the.community.or.those.currently.. serving

. Research.other.Italian.Americans.who. ought.in.World.War.II.and.present.it.to... the.class .


Extension:

Four and a half million first and second generation italians are longing for a miracle:american victory without italian defeat.

Fortune Magazine , September 1942

Four and a half million first and second generation italians are longing for a miracle:american victory without italian defeat.

Fortune Magazine , September 1942
http://www.wwiimemorial.com/http://www.wwiimemorial.com/


32/84

1 ..When.was.it.established.and.why?

2 .What.are.the.criteria.to.receive.the.award?

3 .Summarize.each.citation:Sgt. John Basilone

Sgt. Anthony Damato

P c. Gino Merli

T/Sgt. Peter J. Dalessendro.......................................... . . . . . . . . .

4 .Do.you.think.these.men. ought.harder?..Why.or.why.not?..

Medal Of Honor WorksheetMedal Of Honor Worksheet


33/84

...Create.a.concept.map.on.the.board,.with.the.words..Melting.Pot.in.the.middle ..Call.up.students..to.add.to.the.concept.map ..Some.responses.would.be.America,.immigration,.and.discrimination ..Review.these.ideas.so.that.there.is.a.class.consensus.o .the.de nitions.o .melting.pot .In.small.groups,.students.are.asked.to.discuss.whether.there.are.modern.day.examples.o .the.American..melting.pot .Discuss.how.Americans.see.these.groups.and.why .....Have.the.students.recall.the.treatment.o .Italian,.German.and.Japanese.Americans.during.World..War.II .Tell.the.students.that.they.will.determine.i .the.treatment.between.these.groups.was.the.same.or.di erent ..Using.the.Comparison.Chart.worksheet,.have.groups.determine.their.treatment.during.World.War.II ...It.is.important. or.students.to.recognize.that.Italian.and.German.immigrants.could.be.naturalized,.whereas.Japanese.immigrants.were.ineligible. or.citizenship .That.is.an.important.point.or.understanding.the.rationale.behind.mass.Japanese.internment .Many.Italians.had.become.Ameri-can.citizens,.and.only.those.not.naturalized.were.held.as.enemy.aliens .Students.refect.on.the.disruption.o .lives,.the.embarrassment.o .questioned.loyalty,.and.the.escalated.discrimination.su ered.by.the.Italian,.German,.and.Japanese-Americans.during.the.war ..As.a.class.go.over.charts,..discovering.the.di erent.and.similar.treatments.between.the.two.groups ..Recall.the.concept.map.on.the.board..Melting.Pot,.have.the.students.determine.i .the.treatment. rom.World.War.II.has.any.similarities.to.treatment.o .other.ethnic.groups.today ..

1 . Compare.the.experiences.o .Italians,.Germans.and.Japanese.Americans.during.World.War.II2 . Evaluate.the.e ectiveness.o .internment.during.a.time.o .crisis3 . Consider.the.social.implications.o .internment. elt.by.these.groups

. Comparison.Chart.Worksheet.. Chart.o .types.o .treatment.during.World.War.II.

Comparing Italian, German and JapaneseExclusion and Internment Experiences

Objectives:

Materials:

Procedure:




34/84

. The.groups.will.per orm.a.skit.o .either.the.Japanese.or.Italian-American.treatment.during... World.War.II. Create.posters.showing.the.treatment.o .the.Italians,.Germans.and.Japanese.during.World.War.II. Compile.data.on.the.ethics.o .internment.camps ..Research.current.day.situations.and... determine.causes,.and.potential.results.by.keeping.them.in.internment.camps ..

. An.excerpt. rom.Ezio.Pinzas. Autobiography o an Italian Internee .( ound.in. Only What We ... Could Carry .Berkeley,.Cali ornia:.Heyday.Press,.2000,.page.191,.edited.by.Lawson.Fusao... Inada).is.divided.into.sections.o .three.to.ve.paragraphs .Groups.o .three.students.read.their.... sections.aloud.to.one.another,.and.respond.orally.to.their.pieces .Next,.students.individually... re-read.their.sections,.highlighting.key.words.or.phrases.that.show.impact.or.emotion .They... collect.their.highlighted.words,.and.arrange.them.into.ound.poetry,.which.they.will... illustrate,.share,.and.post.on.a.classroom.bulletin.board


Extension:

I want to go in and search the house or residence and premises of every alien...right now... we cant fool around.

Lt. general, John L. DeWitt, Western Defense Command, San Francisco

I want to go in and search the house or residence and premises of every alien...right now... we cant fool around.

Lt. general, John L. DeWitt, Western Defense Command, San Francisco


35/84

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R e s p o n s e t o t h e


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........Discuss.how.to.de ne.Prisoner.o .War ..Go.over.points.o .the. Geneva.Convention ..Ask.the..students.where.the.U S .put.POWs.during.World.War.II .Why.would.they.be.brought.to.America?...Mention.some.o .the.camps.and.their.locations .Have.the.students.think.about.motives. or.having.camps.in.the.U S ..Discuss.the.labor.shortage.in.the.U S .and.how.the.POWs.might.be.able.to. ll.those.labor.needs ...........View. our.short.newspaper.articles.on.overhead .Then.have.students.discuss.treatment.o .prisoners..o .war,.note.categories.o .housing,. ood,.etc .Next,.read.the.article.titled,.Italian.POW.Volunteers ...Discuss.these.points:.. 1 .How.did.POWs.contribute.to.the.manpower.shortage?... 2 .What.activities.were.provided. or.POWs. or.entertainment?.. 3 .How.did.POWs.react.to.their.treatment?Present.the.di erence.between.a.POW.and.the.ISU.units .Consider.the.response.o .the.surrounding..communities.to.these.camps .Split.the.class.in.hal ..Have.one.side.become.either.the.community.or.the.prisoners .Each.side.will.determine.how.they. eel.about.the.ISU.units .Make.sure.to.include.that.some.o .the.prisoners. ell.in.love.with.women.in.the.community ..Ask.the.class.to.decide.i .those.men.who.are.involved.with.a.woman.in.America.should.stay.in.America.a ter.the.war ..

1 . Summarize.the.Geneva.Convention2 . Analyze.the.treatment.o .Italian.POWs .3 . Debate.the.various.responses.to.the.treatment.o .POWs.and.ISU.units

. POW.Activity.newspaper.articles..

Italian.POW.Volunteers.newspaper.articleCamp Atterbury, Indiana

Italian Prisoners of War (POWs) In U.S. CampsDuring World War II

Objectives:

Materials:

Procedure:


http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/0/eb1571b00daec90ec125641e00402aa6?OpenDocumenthttp://www.indianamilitary.org/INDEX%20files/index-PWs.htmhttp://www.indianamilitary.org/INDEX%20files/index-PWs.htmhttp://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/0/eb1571b00daec90ec125641e00402aa6?OpenDocument


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. Debate:..Have.students. orm.sides.and.debate.the.point.o .view.o .a.community.member... who.resents.the.coddling.o .Italians.with.extra.privileges.vs .a.person.who.sees.the... value.o .Italians.as.ISU.members.and.their.contributions.to.the.war.e ort. Suppose.you.are.an.Italian.POW.who.is.a.member.o .an.ISU.unit ..You.will.be.going... home.in.one.month ..Write.a.one-page.letter.to.your.parents.refecting.on.your.time.spent... in.the.U S

. Role.Play:.Have.one.student.be.a.newspaper.reporter.interviewing.a.detainee.and... write.an.article.about.the.interview. Scored.Discussion.comparing.the.treatment.o .detainees.in.Guantanamo.Bay.to.that... o .Italian.Prisoners.o .War .


Extension:

Going to visit the enemy at this period of time would raise suspicion in yourNeighbors minds.

Nicholas R. Santilli, Ph.D., John Carroll University

Going to visit the enemy at this period of time would raise suspicion in yourNeighbors minds.

Nicholas R. Santilli, Ph.D., John Carroll University


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The.manpower.shortage.at.Camp.Carsons.combined.maintenance.shops,.where.hundreds.o .vehicles.are.being.prepared. or.overseas.shipment,.was.greatly.relieved.Tuesday.with.the.arrival.o .the.10th.Italian.Ord-nance.Medium.Automotive.Maintenance.unit ..The.service.unit.includes.more.than.100.Italian.prisoners.o .war,.who.have.volunteered.their.services. or.the.American.war.e ort. Prior.to.coming.to.Carson,.the.Italians.completed.a.12.week.training.course.at.Atlanta,.Ga ,.Ordnance.depot.to.acquaint.them.with.American.vehicles.and.methods.o .repair ..They.were.selected. or.the.volunteer.service.a ter.a.thorough.screening.by.military.intelligence.to.insure.that.no.pro-Nazis.or.pro-Fascists.were.included ..Every.man.in.the.unit.has.had.extensive.mechanical.experience

The.American.o cer.in.charge.is.Capt .Thomas.G .Beebe,.New.York.City .He.will.oversee.American.administrative.personnel.consisting.o .six.non-commissioned.o cers,. our.o .whom.are.interpreters,.and. our.Italian.o cersa.captain,.two. rst.lieutenants.and.one.second.lieutenant ..The.unit.is.organized.according.to.the.regular.table.o .organization. or.an.American.Medium.Maintenance.company,.except.that.the.Italians.will.not.bear.arms.and.will.receive.no.tactical.training ..The.men.will.live.in.a.regular.barracks.area

The.Italians.in.such.service.units.wear.American.uni orms.with.plain.buttons.and.no.American.insignia ..They.wear.a.green.arm.patch.with.********.units.receive.no.more.********.other.prisoners.o .war. or.work.done ..The.only.extra.payment.members.o .the.units.receive. or.working. or.the.American.war.e ort.is.in.additional. reedom,.a.part.o .which.may.include.sight-seeing.and.educational.tours ..At.present,.however,.the.Italians.at.Carson.are.restricted.to.the.camp.area.but.they.are.not.under.guard ..They.may.patronize.one.o .the.camps.post.exchanges,.and.a.theater,.but.must.be.accompanied.by.American.personnel.at.all.times .Any.abuse.o .privileges.makes.them.subject.to.immediate.return.to.regular.prisoner.o .war.status.at.a.camp

********.Re ers.to.missing.text. rom.the.article

Camp Carson Mountaineer ,.Colorado.Springs,.August.3,.1944

Italian POW Volunteers Aid Camp Labor Shortage

100 Anti-Fascist and Anti-Nazi Italian Prisoners Make Up HighlySkilled Ordnance Maintenance Unit.


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Italian News ,.July.28,.1944

Greeley Tribune ,.October.28,.1943


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Greeley Tribune ,.December.18,.1943


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Training. or.ISU.members.began.immediately. ollowing.enrollment .It.was.the.same.as.that. or.U S . servicemen. with. the. omission.o . tactical.and.weapons. training .. Forty- our.percent. o . the.men.participated.in.the.Mobilization.Training.Program.and.the.remainder.had.on.the.job.training .There.were.programs.in. our.services:..quartermaster.(88.hours),.Ordnance.(120.hours),.Engineer.(92.hours),.and.Transportation.(138.hours) ..Manuals,. lms,.circulars.and.other.teaching.aids.had.to.

be.hastily.translated.into.Italian . 5....The. Army. provided. English. classes. or. Italian. soldiers . Initially. volunteers. had. six. hours. o .English. weekly. during. o . duty. hours. with. instruction. manuals. issued. to. all. participants. and.provision. or. civilian. observation . Response. to. this. language. program. was. not. enthusiastic .Men. were. tired. a ter. a. days. work. and. not. eager. to. spend. o . hours. in. a. classroom . Many. o .the. men. were. illiterate. and.embarrassed. by. the. classes . Some. studied. with. the. thought. o . us-ing. their. English. once. given. reedom. in.American. communities . This. assumption. led. to. later.disillusionment . By. July. English. instruction. ell. to. ve. hours. a. week. and. by. November. two.hours. with. additional. time. or. those. who. wished . By. February. 1945,. it. declined. to. two.hours. o . classroom. English. and. two. hours. in. basic. military. subjects. (discipline,. customs,.

sanitation,. sex. hygiene,. malaria. control,. rst. aid). during. on. duty. hours . Ultimately. use.o . English. was. minimal . Italian. personnel. could. give. commands. in. Italian,. U S . personnel.could.use.English.or.Italian.and.Italians.learned.to.understand.English.commands 6.........

The.need. or.manpower.was.so.urgent.that.many.Italians.had.to.leave.special.training.programs.be ore. nishing .By.September.30,.1944.all.men.were. involved. in.on. the. job. training.at. camps.throughout. the. U S .The. average. Italian. POW. was. a. willing. worker. but. language. continued. to.be.a.severe.handicap .Many.Italians.had.been.peasant. armers.and.were.accustomed.to.working.with.their.hands.and.not.machines .O .900.Italians.training.as.dump.truck.drivers.less.than. ty.had.ever.driven.a.vehicle.and.only.ten.had.any.mechanical.background .While.they.were.good.laborers.there.was.little.chance.o .training.many.o .them.to.be.skilled.workers 7....

Despite. ISU. status. the. men.were.still. POWs.and. subject. to.certain. restrictions .They.could.not.marry. in. the. U S . I . housed. with. non. signers. or. German.POWS,. the. ISU. men. had. to. eat. the.regular.POW.diet.in.which.organ.meats.took.the.place.o . resh.meat .I .there.were.no.positions.or.ISU.o cers.or.privates,.they.had.to.return.to.a.regular.POW.camp.and.be.treated.accordingly ..

Disobedient. POWs. o . any. category. got. the. same. treatment--some. variation. o . hard. labor,.or eiture. o .pay,. or. a. bread.and.water.diet .Whatever. the. choice. it.was. always. in. compliance.

with.the.Geneva.Convention .All.POWs.had.to.return.to.the.country.whose.army.they.represented.without. exception;. no. trans ers. were. allowed. simply. to. be. near. relatives . They. could. not. be.photographed.in.civilian.clothing.and.they.could.not.purchase.war.bonds 8.....

There. were. numerous. advantages. or. Italian. prisoners. who. joined. ISU . They. received. $24 00.per.month;.$8 00.was.in.cash.and.$16 00.in.canteen.coupons .They.could.buy.what.they.wanted.with.the.cash.on.or.o .base .Non-ISU.prisoners.received.$. 80.per.day.in.scrip. or.any.labor.be-yond.basic.housekeeping.tasks,.and.$. 10. or.basics.like.toothpaste.and.other.personal.necessities .ISU.men.did.not.work.under.armed.guards.as.the.German.POWs,.but.under.direct.command.and.supervision.o .a.small.number.o .o cers.and.soldiers .Their.diet.was.better.than.other.POWs.as.they.were. ed.the.post.menu,.which.included.cheap.cuts.o .meat.when.apart. rom.Germans 9


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ISU. men.also. had.more. generous. postal. privileges. than. other.POWs . . But. precautions. had. to.be.taken ..All.their.mail.was.censored.to.protect. amilies.o .men.who.were.still.in.enemy-occu-pied.Italy ..One.district.censor.wrote.numerous.letters.to.headquarters.in.Wadsworth,.New.York.enclosing.photos.and.letters.sent.by.ISU.men.in.outgoing.mail ..The.con scated.photos.showed.the.Italy.armband.o .POWs.indicating.their.ISU.status ..The.men.were.not.to.send.photos.with.

these. visible. markings. nor. letters. giving. camp. locations . . One. con scated. letter. read,. Please.understand. that. in.order. to. send. you. this. photo,. I. am. risking. imprisonment,. or. even. worse . I .this.should.be.censored,.I.am. nished Write.to.the.old.address ...This.one.is. alse . 10......The.most.attractive.aspect.o .volunteering. or.ISU.status.and.subsequently.the.most.controver-sial,. was. the. soldiers. opportunity. to. leave. base. and. participate. in. social. activities. in. . nearby.communities.under.escort ..This.was.a.use ul.reward. or.their.labor,.but.not.without.danger ..The.government. anticipated. problems.arising. when. ISU. men.met. local.women,.and. or. this. reason.some. o cers. had. opposed. socialization. o . base . .Yet. the. need. or. labor. was. paramount. and.socialization. was. the. main. attraction. in.getting. volunteers. or. the. ISU . . However,. once. POWs.appeared.on.public.transportation.and.at.large.gatherings.like.baseball.games,.charges.o .coddling.

prisoners.erupted ..General.John.Eager,.commander.at.ISU.headquarters.at.Ft .Wadsworth,.New.York,.spent.an.enormous.amount.o .time.responding.to.these.charges--both.true.and. alseand. justi ying.this.o .base.policy 11....

Not.all.reactions.were.negative ..Italian.ethnic.organizations.and.churches.in.urban.areas.invited.ISU. men. to.gatherings.o ten.giving. them. gi ts.on.holidays . . One.New.York. City. church. invit-ed.twenty.Italian.ISU.men.as.guests. or.Memorial.Day.services. ollowed.by.entertainment ..The.congregation. promised. to. provide. transportation . Members. o . the.Church. o .The. Lady. o . Mt .Carmel.in.Yonkers,.N Y .invited.150.Italian.volunteers. or.a.chicken.dinner,. urnished.buses. or.sightseeing,.and.a.Yonkers.girl.to.accompany.each.young.man ..The.Yonkers.Kiwanis.Club.did.not. react. kindly. to. these. demonstrations. o . riendship. and. passed. a. resolution. in. which. it.emphatically. denounces. the. practice. o . releasing. prisoners or. the. purpose. o . being. enter-tained and. demands. that. it. be. discontinued . . Any. attempted. justi cation . disregards. the.prevailing.sentiment.o .American. amilies.whose.loved.ones.have.su ered.and.died.perhaps.at.the.hands.o .some.o .these 12....

Civilians. complained. to. their. congressmen. who. asked. military. o cers. or. an. explanation . . A.constituent.wrote.to.Representative.Edward.J .Hart.complaining.that. ty.Italian.POWs. rom.Ft .Wadsworth.were.brought. to.church,.Palisade.Park,. and.supper. in.Union.City.while. his. 18.year.old. son. lived. in. the. swamps. o .Louisiana.with. two. sandwiches. and.a. little. water.every. twelve.hours.as.an.American.soldier ...On.August.9,.1944,.Representative.Thomas.E .Martin. orwarded.

a. letter. rom. the. American. Legion. Post. 27,. Muscatine,. Iowa. protesting. overly. generous. treat-ment.o .POWs.at.Rock.Island.Arsenal ..Colonel.John.Nash.responded .He.explained.that.ISU.men.contributed.valuable.labor.to.the.war.e ort.and.one.o .the.only.ways.to.reward.them,.li t.their.mo-rale,.and.sell.them.on.democracy.was.to.provide.o .base.excursions 13.........

The. Rock. Island. issue. did. not. rest . . In. November. 1944. the. president. o . The. Marine. Dads.Club. o .Rock. Island.County. wrote. to.Representative.Anton. Johnson. protesting. that. ISU. men.took. advantage. o . their. privileges. by. holding. drinking. parties. with. women. on. the.


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Arsenal. Island,.being.allowed. to.leave.base.and.. stay.with.women.o .base.overnight,. and.buy-ing.two.packs.o .cigarettes.a.day.at.reduced.prices--.which.was.an.advantage.over.American.citi-zens .An.o cer.was.dispatched.to.investigate.and.concluded.that.there.was.laxity.in.the.control.o .vehicles.and.granting.o .passes,. but. the. base.had.a. story-telling.group.that.gave.exaggerated.accounts.o .outings ..Corrective.measures. ollowed.and.more.rigid.discipline.was.en orced 14....

In.the. summer. o .1944.protests.came. rom.Igloo,.South. Dakota. when.citizens.complained. that.Italian. POWs. used. government. cars. and. consumed. precious. gasoline. to. travel. to. Hot. Springs.every. evening . . Such. actions. were. a. slap. in. the. ace. to. our. boys. . From. Charlotte,. North.Carolina,.Secretary.o .War,.Henry.L .Stimson.received.a. letter.complaining.that.POWs.were.be-ing.treated.like.honored.guests.while.a.constituent.in.Cleveland.wrote.Stimson.protesting.the.coddling.o . wops.From.Warsaw,.Indiana.came. the.suggestion.that.since.Italy.was.a. co-bellig-erent,.Italians.should.be.sent.back.to. ght.and.keep.American.boys.home.to.work.in.agriculture.rather. than. sending. them. to. ght. in.Italy .An. ex-serviceman

prisoners among us italian-american idenity and world war ii teachers guide

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