The Enemy Alien Files:The Little-known Story of the
Japanese Peruvians During WWII
As people become more aware of the WWII internment of Japanese Americans, it is still a surprise for many to learn that persons of Japanese ancestry were forcibly deported from their homes in Latin America and incarcerated in internment camps in the United States for the purpose of hostage exchange. Not only did the US government violate the civil rights of its own citizens, but it also went outside its borders and violated the human rights of civilians in Latin America.
From December 1941 to 1945, the US government orchestrated the forcible deportation of 2264 men, women and children of Japanese ancestry from 13 Latin American countries to be used as hostages in exchange for Americans held by Japan. Of these, about 1800 (80%) were Japanese Peruvians.
The US government financed their transportation over international borders and their incarceration in US Department of Justice internment camps. It justified its control over the Japanese Latin Americans by confiscating their passports upon entry to the country and labeling them as "illegal aliens". Most of the JLAs were interned in a former migrant labor camp at Crystal City, Texas. This facility also held persons of Italian and German ancestry from the United States and Latin America as well as Japanese Americans.
Over 500 Japanese Peruvians were included in the two prisoner of war exchanges that took place in 1942 and 1943. This left about 1400 Japanese Latin Americans who continued to be interned in the US. Their ordeal did not end with the close of WWII in 1945. The remaining Japanese Latin Americans were told that they were "illegal aliens" and would be deported from the US. At first, the Peruvian government refused to readmit any Japanese Peruvians, even those who were Peruvian citizens or married to Peruvian citizens. As a result, between November 1945 and June 1946, over 900 Japanese Peruvians were deported to war-devastated Japan. 300 Japanese Peruvians remained in the US and fought deportation through the courts. Eventually about 100 Japanese Peruvians were able to return to Peru. It was not until June 1952 that the Japanese Peruvians who stayed in the US were allowed to begin the process of becoming US permanent residents. Many later became American citizens.
This violation of civil and human rights was not justified by a security threat. Rather it was the outcome of historic racism, anti-foreign prejudice, economic competition and political opportunism during time of war. The US government has yet to provide justice for this wrongdoing against the Japanese Latin Americans.
For more information:
Please contact the Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project (JPOHP) for more information. If you would like to make a financial contribution (which is tax deductible), we would welcome it very much! Please make your check payable to JPOHP/NJAHS and send it to:
Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project (JPOHP)
P.O. Box 1384
El Cerrito, CA 94530
Phone/FAX: (510) 528-7288