Hawaii Japanese American Overview, 1778 – Today The Beginning 1778 – 1923 Sugar Cane Production Early Diplomacy (US & Japan) Restrictions on Immigration; Private-Contract Immigration; Free Immigration Hawaiian Monarchy Overthrown; Territory of Hawaii Limits to Japanese Immigration; US Enters WWI Gathering Storm 1924 – 1941 U.S. Exclusion Act; Questions of Japanese Loyalty, Japanese Aggression US Prepares for Involvement in World War II Hawaii Takes Action to Prepare for War Commitment 1941 – 1942 Pearl Harbor — December 7, 1941 Distrust and Prejudice Toward AJAs as the Nation Goes to War Mass Internment of AJAs on Mainland, Varsity Victory Volunteers and Women’s Army Corps Formation of 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team Sacrifice 1943 – 1945 Nisei Allowed to Serve Cairo Conference & Tehran Conference Nisei at War in the Pacific and with the MIS Nisei at War in Europe with the 100th and 442nd 1399 Engineering Construction Battalion Activated D-Day; Martial Law Ends in Hawaii; Yalta Conference 522 Liberates Dachau Prisoners Truman Becomes President, VE Day Atomic Bombs Dropped on Japan Japan Surrenders, VJ Day Acceptance & Opportunity 1945 – Today Veteran Clubs and Clubhouses Open in Hawaii 442nd Awards, Return to Hawaii Desegregation of US Army, Developments in Hawaii AJA Political Advancements — Inouye, Matsunaga, Mink & Ariyoshi US Admits Injustice of AJAs, Reparations AJAs Make History; More Awards to Nisei Veterans Preserving Legacy of Internment Camps
