What+effect+did+cultural+differences+have+on+the+war?

Introduction
toc The cultural differences between forces in the Pacific theater undoubtedly affected tactics, battlefield decisions, and feelings of the civilian population in the area and back in the US. These cultural differences had very real consequences, from the signing of Executive Order #9066 (some Italian- and German-Americans were interned as well, of course, but to a lesser extent. The mood can perhaps best be summed up by the comments of Earl Warren, who was attorney general in California during the internment: "We believe that when we are dealing with the Caucasian race... we can... arrive at some fairly sound conclusions because of our knowledge of they way they live in the community" ), to the mass suicides at Saipan when civilians were convinced that death was better than the horrors they would experience at the hands of the Americans (see below).

Suggested Resources
WWII Propaganda links - Propaganda often capitalized on cultural stereotypes, and the Pacific theater of WWII was no exception. The links below will take you to two collections of propaganda artwork whose curators have been kind enough to offer their use.
 * The Brill Gallery's collection of WWII propaganda
 * Japanese PsyOp (Psychological Operations) during WWII



Manzanar National Historic Site - The Manzanar War Relocation Center was home to more than 10,000 Japanese-Americans during WWII who were forced to leave their homes and relocate to the center as part of Executive Order #9066. The Manzanar website also includes links to educator resources like lesson plans, primary documents, and activity ideas.
 * Interview with John Wakamatsu - John Wakamatsu speaks about his father, who was a US Army soldier during WWII. Wakamatsu's grandparents were sent to the Manzanar internment camp, and in this interview, he talks about how his father served in the Army at the same time his own parents were being interned at Manzanar.

Mass suicides at Saipan - When the Marines landed on Saipan, not only did they meet several thousand Japanese soldiers willing to take on suicide missions, but they met a civilian population that had had such fear of Americans instilled in them that, rather than be captured, they threw themselves off the cliffs of Saipan.

Reflection
These resources were chosen for their ability to shed light on both American and Japanese feelings during the war. Such investigation adds not only a deeper understanding of the war itself, but offers students the necessary ability to view both sides of a conflict, and to do their own research into an issue rather than simply accept what is presented by someone else as fact. Cultural differences present in WWII (and present in America's current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan) add a whole new element to the conflict, and this element must be considered if students want a true understanding of the war as a whole.