CHICAGOMETROHISTORYFAIR

2015SUMMARYSTATEMENT
Attach an annotated bibliography (AB) that is divided between primary and secondary sources.
Submit two copies of the SS and AB at the competition. Please type.

1. THESIS STATEMENT
Present the projects argument or interpretation in two sentences. If you are using the NHD theme, you might want to make
it evident in your thesis statement.

TheJapaneseinternmentcampsof1942arethemajorcausesofminorityracesrespectedrightstoday.

2. SUMMARY OF PROJECT
Briefly explain your project and its conclusion. Include: How and why did change happen and what was the impact?
Why is it historically significant? What historical meaning or importance can we learn from your findings?
Our project is about how the internment camps triggered events/occurrences/situations that led to America
guaranteeing equal rights, such as the right that prohibits unreasonable searches (4th amendment), of all minority races and
U.S. citizens. Due to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, the president decided from that event that the Japanese were a
danger to America, and thus forced all Japanese citizens into internment camps. When the constitutionality of this action
was questioned, the president then recognized his order as a mistake, and wanted to take action to apologize and make up
for this mistake. The government then passed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 which ensures that civil rights of any U.S. citizen
will never be violated again. This is historically significant because our rights today would be easily overlooked if it didnt
occur, and future violations of civil rights will be avoided. From this, we can also learn that once the government makes a
mistake and recognizes it, it will not happen again in the future.

3. Required for projects using the National History Day theme only.
Explain how this project integrates the NHD theme Leadership & Legacy in [Chicago/Illinois] History into its argument.

Our project fits into the Legacy area in Chicago/ Illinois history. This is because the Japanese Internment camps
impacted the present. Without them, there mightve been the chance that the situation similar to the Japanese Internment
camps may happen again in the present. When the U.S. makes a mistake and recognizes it, they wont make another mistake
violating Japanese/minority races rights in the future (mistakes made in the past are avoided today). As a result of the
internment camps, we are now more aware of the violation of civil rights and plan our decisions more carefully today. This
also fits into Chicago/ Illinois history because one of the most chosen place for the relocation of the internees was Chicago.

4. PROCESS
A. What historical question did you start off withand how did it change once you began doing your
research?
How did the Japanese Internment camps impact the relationships of the Japanese-American
and American Government?
How did the Japanese internment camps impact America as a whole?
How did the Japanese internment camps impact minority races in America?
B. What kinds of sources did you use as evidence to develop your argument (for example, letters,
photographs, government documents, interviews, etc.)?
Government documents
posters
Letters
Photographs
Articles
Books
C. Select one piece of evidence that you used and explain how it influenced your argument.
The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 resulted from the Japanese internment camps, and its effect of
discouraging violation of American citizen rights made itself a part of our argument.
D. List libraries (other than school), museums, and other institutions that you visited to do your
research.
Harold Washington Library