What I’m Reading: Farewell to Manzanar – 20 in a series – “… its plan to form an all-Nisei combat regiment.”

“In January the government announced its plan to form an all-Nisei combat regiment. While recruiting for this unit and speeding up the relocation program, the government figured it could simultaneously weed out the ‘“ disloyal” and thus get a clearer idea of exactly how many agents and Japanese sympathizers it actually had to deal with. This part of it would have been comical if the results were not so grotesque. No self-respecting espionage agent would willingly admit he was disloyal. Yet the very idea of the oath itself—appearing at the end of that first chaotic year—became the final goad that prodded many once-loyal citizens to turn militantly anti-American.”

From Farwell to Manzanar by by Jeanne Wakatsuki Housto and James D. Houston

What I'm Reading: Farewell to Manzanar - 1 in a series -

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