Authors: Amanda Kanno Davis
Mentors: Jerry Petersen
Insitution: Utah Valley University
In December of 1941, following the attack by the nation of Japan on Pearl Harbor, the United States experienced a period of anti-Japanese sentiment which was directed at both Japanese immigrants as well as Japanese-American citizens. The rhetorical theories of Aristotle, Lloyd Bitzer, Kenneth Burke, and Byron Hawke show that the United States government actively participated in the anti-Japanese hysteria of World War II through its use of propaganda, executive orders, and public proclamations. The result of this hysteria was the breach of civil liberties for over 120,000 Japanese people, approximately two-thirds of whom were American citizens. This research demonstrates the rhetorical methods employed by the U.S. government and examines modern-day concerns regarding the possibility of recurrence.