The Little Known History of Japanese Internment on Angel Island

Bay Curious

KQED

History, Society & Culture, Places & Travel

4.9 • 999 Ratings

🗓️ 28 May 2020

⏱️ 16 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Visitors to Angel Island often learn about how the island was once an immigration processing and detention center where Chinese immigrants were made to wait for weeks or months in sordid conditions. Recently, a Bay Curious listener mused about another dark part of the island’s past: “I wonder about Angel Island and the history of Japanese internment camps.” Turns out the island served a specific role during World War II. Additional Resources: Bay Curious web story, featuring images of Kakuro and Angel Island More on Kakuro Shigenaga’s internment history, and profiles of other Japanese internees Department of Justice case files of “enemy aliens” during WWII Reported by Cecilia Lei. Special thanks to Mina Kim, Yo Ann Martinez and Carly Severn. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Asal Ehsanipour and Rob Speight. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Bianca Hernandez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.

Transcript

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0:00.0	From K-QED. A few miles north of Alcatraz, just off the coast of Tiburon, sits Angel Island.
0:10.0	It's entirely a state park with some of the most spectacular views that you can find of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco.
0:18.0	People take the ferry to hike the trails that crisscross the park and learn about the islands not so beautiful history.
0:27.2	You see, for decades, while the government passed and upheld restrictive Chinese immigration laws, Angel Island was used as an immigration station.
0:36.0	Chinese who came to the US would face extra scrutiny compared to other immigrants.
0:41.0	They were interrogated and often detained on the island for
0:45.2	months at a time while they waited out their fate. But there's another chapter
0:50.3	in the history of this island that isn't as well known. The chapter that comes next
0:55.2	after the island stopped being used as an immigration station. During World War II
1:00.3	another group of people suffered on this island, the Japanese.
1:05.0	Today on Bay Curious, Japanese internment on Angel Island.
1:10.0	I'm Olivia Allen Price.
1:21.0	Support for Bay Curious is brought to you by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, still family owned, operated, and argued over.
1:24.7	Explore their brews wherever fine beverages are sold and taste how trailblazing runs in the family.
1:31.0	Visit Sierra Nevada.com to find your new favorite beer today.
1:36.9	Months before the coronavirus outbreak, Bakery has received a question from a
1:40.8	listener wanting to know about what happened on Angel Island during
1:44.4	World War II. Turns out the island played a very specific role in the internment of Japanese
1:50.3	Americans, though very few people know much about it.
1:54.4	Reporter Cecilia Lay headed to the island to learn more.
2:00.6	It's a picturesque pre-pandemic Sunday morning in San Francisco when I board a ferry to Angel Island.
2:07.0	Just a few things to cover as we get underway.
	...

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