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Peru's Motivations for Internment

The main motivation for Peru wanting to intern the Japanese stemmed from the dislike towards the Japanese. The Peruvians feared the economic threat that the Japanese posed in Peru, so they wanted to get rid of them. Peru's desire for internment varied from other South American and Central American countries. Other countries supported the idea of internment because they feared the risk of attack or espionage from the Japanese immigrants. However, Peru's motivations originated because they saw the Japanese as an economic problem in their country, and internment was a way to eliminate their problem.

Government Peruvian Officials often lied to the American government about the characteristics and circumstances of the Peruvian Japanese in order to make the idea of internment better. One Peruvian official, Victor Raul Haya de la Torre, made many false accusations about the Peruvian Japanese. He claimed such things as:

• The Japanese had served in the Japanese army
• Men were ex-officers
• Few women in the community
• "military type" organization among the Japanese small businesses

By making these accusations, it made the Japanese appear dangerous, therefore making internment seem like a good idea to the American government.

In July 1942, Henry Norweb, the U.S. Ambassador to Peru, told the State Department the following after talking Peruvian President Prado:

"The second matter in which the President is very much interested is the possibility of getting rid of the Japanese in Peru. He would like to settle this problem permanently, which means that he is thinking in terms of repatriating thousands of Japanese. He asked Colonel Lord to let him know about the prospects of additional shipping facilities from the United States. In any arrangement that might be made for internment of Japanese in the States, Peru would like to be sure that these Japanese would not be returned to Peru later on. The president's goal apparently is the substantial elimination of the Japanese colony in Peru."

Based on Henry Norweb's statement, the Peruvian President states no reasons for why he wants to pursue the idea of interning the Japanese. There is no mention about the worry of a security threat by the Japanese. His desire to intern the Japanese is simply because of the dislike and racism towards the Japanese.

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This exhibit was researched and designed by Alexis Frances Murono.

Background: (memory.loc.gov/ammen/ndlpedu/lessons/99/fear/interview.html)

The material and opinions are those of their respective authors and do not represent the views of the University or the Department of History.