50 Rarely-Seen Historical Photos That Might Change Your Perspective On Things

Oh, I get a taste of it due to looking different in times of Covid-19. At least people are mostly civilised here. But, had the scenario have to turn around and a war starts, I don't want to imagine what happens... Guess I'd have to wear my national flag as well in that case.

They busted a couple spy rings in HI and CA. The Japanese even had a British Lord as a spy in Hawaii

@Alien_cos, um, no. Right idea, wrong details. During World War II, American declared war on Japan after the Pearl Harbor bombing, which was a surprise attack on the morning of Sunday, 7 December, 1941. President Roosevelt famously called the attack a “day that will live in infamy.” Pair the attack with the racist attitudes of the time, and you get internment camps, in which people of Japanese descent were placed. The Japanese were suspected (without cause) of being spies, and would often get attacked or sent to these camps. This person, the Chinese woman in the post, doesn’t want to get attacked because the idiots can’t tell the difference between Chinese and Japanese.

On December 7, 1941, Japan staged a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, decimating the US Pacific Fleet. When Germany and Italy declared war on the United States days later, America found itself in a global war. For this reason anti Japanese sentiment was rife in America but Americans had no issues with the Chinese as they were nothing to do with it. I can understand how she would feel nervous about being mistaken for "the enemy"

Japanese people were put into camps in the USA during this time because of war. Every Japanese was suspected to be a spy.

USA-Japan relations were already getting tensed a couple of years before the beginning of WWII, following Japan's expansionist politics (literally fueled by US military supplies until mid-1940, Americans will never fail to arm their future opponents :p). It culminated with the Pearl Harbour attack on December 7 1941 and the USA actively joined WWII. Anti-japanese racism hit an all-time high following the attack... And the government took a drastic measure: over 100 000 Japanese Americans were sent into "internment" camps from 1942 until the end of WWII in 1945. Add to that that the Chinese and the Japanese are sworn enemies...

This is during WW2 China was an ally. China had been invaded by Japan earlier in the 20's and 30's. They were ruthless. In the US Americans weren't really going to parse that into "are you Chinese" but rely on racism to see only East Asian, and treat everyone like they were the enemy.

Nela Rothenbach - Not Japanese people. US American people. American citizens.

Because to "round eye" people, all Asians look alike. Americans with German and Italian ancestry weren't treated like the family of George Takei, Sulu on Star Trek. Their home and business were taken without compensation, even after the war, and the entire family was confined to a concentration camp.

Japanese Americans were put into camps for their "protection" snatched up pretty much. If you looked Japanese, well it wasn't good for you. She put that flag up so no one would take her, and she wouldn't lose her business. Many Japanese lost business, homes, jobs, and family/friend connections.

On December 7, 1941, just a week before this phone was taken, the Japanese launched a significant attack on America at Pearl Harbour, destroying most of the American fleet that was stationed there and killing thousands of men, many of whom drowned days later after being trapped inside the hulls of the ships that were attacked. The following day, December 8, America declared war on Japan. Japanese residents in America were suddenly accused of being spies and attacks on anyone that looked Japanese was common. Quite a risk for this young lady to be out on the beach like this.

In time WW2 japaneese people were grouped in some kind of concentration camps...welll...here is wiki article, english isn't my first language and it would be painful for me to explain and for you to read ;) ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internment_of_Japanese_Americans

Japanese people during WWII were put in camps that separates them from the rest of the population. They were thought to be spies for Japan because in the 1800s the us refused to make them citizens.

on 7th of december 1941 the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor without declaration of war. The lady feared to be taken for a japanese, so she showed the chinese flag. Hope it worked for her

During WWII in the US Japanese-Americans were put in concentration camps and hatred towards japanese was generalized. Thus it would be easy to confuse a Chinese with a Japanese on account of being Asian. Much like Indian people were subjected to violence in the US when mistaken for middle eastern muslims.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internment_of_Japanese_Americans#:~:text=The%20internment%20of%20Japanese%20Americans,lived%20on%20the%20Pacific%20Coast.

Japan in WW2 were on the opposite side to the US. Hence I guess there was a lot of racism against Japaneses

After Pearl Harbour, many Japanese in the US (whether citizens or not) were detained in internment camps for the rest of the war and after. Often their houses/businesses were seized and sold. You didn't want to be mistaken for Japanese in the States after Pearl Harbour!

since WWII and the Japanese attach on the US, Americans weren't that fond of Japanese people..

During ww2 the Japanese living in Canada and the US were hated and discriminated against. She's flying a Chinese flag so that she wouldn't have people believing she is Japanese and harassing her.

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So in the mid 20th century America was fighting with japan (have you ever heard of the bombing on Pearl Harbor? It’s a very famous bombing where a TON of Japanese people died. I think some Americans dies as well) so America was always keeping eyes out for Japanese people trying to bomb. That might be wrong I don’t remember the story all that well but i do know it was and still is incredibly tragic

If this were taken in peaceful times, it would be at the same level as wearing a T-shirt saying "I am not *insert stereotype*". Which would still make it simultaneously sad, due to racism, but at least, you can fight it with humour. However, this one wasn't taken during peaceful times + there's the general racism, so it makes it even more tragi-comical. Tough life.