Tule Lake: Standing Up to Injustice

Tule Lake started out just as any of the other interment camps, poor conditions, makeshift shelter, and barbed wire fences with armed watchtowers surrounding the internees. But as time went on, Tule Lake would make a name for itself. One that would set it apart from the rest of the camps and one that would ultimately make it the most controversial of all the Japanese American Internment camps during World War II.

Located near near the actual lake called Tule Lake, the Tule Lake Relocation Center was actually in the Northern California town of Newell. It opened its door on May 26^th, 1942 to the Japanese Americans who previously had lived in western Washington, Oregon and parts of Northern California. This camp began operation as just one of the several interment camps but following several incidences, Tule lake became know as the camp with a bunch of trouble makers. Following the loyalty questionnaire, “No-No” boys were all sent to Tule Lake, even those who answered as a sign of protest of their poor treatment. They were labeled as "disloyal" and assumed to be pro-Japan. Several protests and boycotts occurred leading to military police to seize control of the camp and declaring Martial Law. The camp thus became known as the Tule Lake Segregation Center.

Tule Lake was the final camp to close its doors in March of 1946. At its peak it was home to nearly 19,00 internees making it the largest of all the camps. Despite being the last to close and the biggest, Tule Lake will be remembered for those who choose to resist. The members of Tule Lake make great contrast to the traditional story that is told in classrooms and the heroic tale of the 442^nd. But some have considered the residents of the only “Segregation Center” to be the most American of all. They choose to stand up for their rights and wanted to have their voice heard. At the time this was seen as disobedience. Today it is seen as standing up for what you believe in and what is right. To commemorate what these Americans did, not only has Tule Lake been preserved as a California Historical Landmark, and later a National Historic Site, Tule Lake is the only site chosen by President Bush to represent the continental United States on the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. “By conserving these important sites, President Bush recognized...the quiet courage of Japanese Americans incarcerated at Tule Lake,” remarked Dan Sakura who works to preserve the the Japanese American Interment camps.

Despite its poor reputation at the time, history shows how much bravery it took to stand up in the face of adversity. Only now are the residents of Tule Lake having their story told in a positive light. But perhaps it is time to adjust the story in our history books, at least a little bit.

Jerry Knaack

http://www.tulelake.org/history.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tule_Lake_War_Relocation_Center

http://www.lib.utah.edu/portal/site/marriottlibrary/menuitem.350f2794f84fb3b29cf87354d1e916b9/?vgnextoid=885a31af8dade110VgnVCM1000001c9e619bRCRD&vgnextchannel=3774f882f22de110VgnVCM1000001c9e619bRCRD

http://www.colostate.edu/orgs/TuleLake/Tule%20Lake%20Menu.html

http://www.nps.gov/archive/manz/cctulelake.htm

http://www.javadc.org/tule_lake.htm

http://home.nps.gov/pwr/customcf/apps/ww2ip/dsp_monuments.cfm

http://www.conservationfund.org/node/877