Korematsu WebQuest

By Robert W. Lieberman

Grace Dodge Vocational High School

Introduction

Both December 7th, 1941 and September 11th, 2001 have been called, “A day that will live in infamy.” On both of these days the United States was attacked and thousands of Americans were killed.

To combat the potential threat by Japanese Americans, the United States government forced an entire class of American people to surrender their due process rights. Japanese Americans were forced into Internment Camps to “protect” the United States from potential threats of these Japanese Americans. The Korematsu decision has been condemned for its racism. Do you think that after Sept. 11th, that it could happen again with Arab Americans?

To see Korematsu v. United States, click: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/scales/korematsu.html

Task

You are to work as a group to create a report to aid Congressman Lieberman. Congressman Lieberman has asked to do a research project on the Korematsu decision. This research will aid Congressman Lieberman in his creation of legislation in combating terrorism today.

You will be looking into why the United States felt a need to protect itself against Japanese Americans in the way that it did. You will study the effects this decision had on the Japanese Americans. How did the Untied States try to compensate these Japanese Americans? How is the situation today similar and different with Arab American terrorists?

Process

1. First you will divide up into 6 groups of 5 students.

2. Individuals in your group will assume all of the following roles:

i. Leader – In overall charge of the group. Coordinates work with teacher and group.

ii. Secretary – Responsible for maintaining all of the paperwork required for the group project.

iii. Facilitator – Responsible for making sure the team will have adequate access to computers and other materials required for group work.

iv. Technical leader – Each team will have at least one member who is computer literate.

v. Alternate Leader -- Substitutes for any of the others in case of absence.

3. Each individual in the group should answer one of the following questions by studying the websites listed in the resources:

i. Why did the Supreme Court decide the way it did in the Korematsu case?

ii. How did the Internment affect the Japanese Americans?

iii. What has the United States government done to compensate these Japanese Americans?

iv. Why was Korematsu given the Presidential Medal of Freedom?

v. How does the discrimination faced by the Japanese Americans after 12/7/41 compare to the discrimination today faced by the Arab Americans after 9/11/01?

4. The answers to each question will be at least one page long, double spaced typed.

5. Each member of the group should make 4 copies of a draft of their answer.

6. Give a copy of your answer to each member of your group to review.

7. After your group has evaluated each answer, make the necessary corrections.

8. The group as a whole, should write the title page, introduction and conclusion.

9. Submit a completed report with a title page, introduction and a conclusion to Congressman Lieberman for his review.

Resources

Korematsu v. United States

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/scales/korematsu.html

Internment History

http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/history/civilact.html

1988 Civil Liberties Act

http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ora/main.html

Presidential Medal of Freedom for Korematsu

http://fly.hiwaay.net/~garson/korematsu.htm

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee

http://www.adc.org/

Arab American Institute Policy and Priorities.

http://www.aaiusa.org/Tragedy/educationalindex.html

Evaluation

Each question will be worth 15 percent of the report (totaling 75%). The introduction, body and conclusion will be worth 25%. Both spelling and grammar will count. Do not just copy the website but you must put the answers into your own words.

Conclusion

However this nation decides, future generations may judge us as harshly as we now judge the supporters of internment during World War II. We must therefore consider our nation's past, present, and future in facing the difficult challenge of profiling in an age of terrorism.