Enemies Among "US"

Abstract

The current thesis explores the core pillars of anti-Japanese narratives in American Western society that were transformed into the context of the Second World War propaganda concerning the representation of Japanese Americans as "enemy aliens." The detailed analysis of propaganda materials aims to deconstruct the false notions used to describe Japanese Americans. The wartime propaganda frequently portrayed the Japanese as racially inferior and morally degenerate. Through these notions, their societal position was established as saboteurs - although there was no sufficient evidence of espionage or sabotage committed by Japanese Americans during the war. The investigation of the government's method of constructing the image of Japanese Americans explores the dangers of governmental influence, especially in the case of propaganda communication, and analyzes how these government influences resulted in the forced removal of Japanese Americans from the West Coast.