Our German-Russian families found new homes in America and began to learn and accept new ways of doing things. But they were still considered different…and as the U.S. engaged in two world wars against Germany, their German language and customs made them a target of FBI surveillance, especially during the 1930s.This information gathering, often on the basis of anonymous tips, led to immediate registration, harassment, arrests, internment, and relocation when the U.S. entered WWII. As a result, thousands of innocent men, women and children were subjected to suffering, while being denied their constitutional right to due process of law.
In a presentation titled “Anti German-American Agitation during World Wars I and II: Justice Denied and Internment 1941-48,” Bob Schneider will present this story of prejudice against German-Americans and their mistreatment as a result of government policies. In VANISHED: German-American Internment, 1941-48, Michael Luick-Thrams wrote:
“Their suffering cannot be justified, as no German-American internee was ever convicted of a war-related crime.”
Most excellent
ReplyDeleteThanks for this history. Until now I thought only the Japanese had suffered this injustice. I recently became aware of WWII German detention when I learned of the internment camp at Fort Lincoln in ND. This led me to this family memoir:
ReplyDeleteThe Misplaced American by Ursula Voyt Potter.
The memoir tells of Ursula's father's internment in various places, including Fort Lincoln. A German National, he was held under suspicion of sending money to Hilter. In reality, he had sent money to a sister who had returned to Germany. For MN readers, I got this book through inter library loan, Ramsey Cty library. Selections of the book are also on line. Patzer