Through the lens of the individuals who lived through this part of history, this lesson focuses on the different ways diverse Asian American groups experienced World War II. Students will explore the many parts of the war from the perspectives of Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and Chinese Americans through readings and film clips.

Students will:

Asian Americans viewed the United States’ declaration of war on Japan in 1941 with both hope and apprehension. For those whose ethnic heritage came from Asian countries colonized by Japan, it represented a long-awaited check on Japanese aggression. During the years leading up to World War II, Japan’s growing attacks against Korea, China, and the Philippines were greatly distressing.

In 1931, Japan invaded northern China, and in 1937 it launched a vicious assault on China’s capital Nanjing. Over a six-week period, Japanese soldiers tortured and killed an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 Chinese civilians and soldiers. Throughout this period, Japan masked its imperialist goals under the guise of establishing a Greater East-Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, a paternalistic belief that Japan would lead and protect all of Asia from European and U.S. powers by unifying all of Asia. Japan conquered much of Asia, including the Philippines and Korea, the countries of origin of many Asian Americans.

As early as the 1500s, Japan invaded Korea and attempted to conquer it. In 1876, Japan forced Korea to sign an unequal treaty with them to establish trade relations. This treaty was created by Japan in the same way that European countries and the U.S. had been doing with Asian countries like Japan and China in the 1800s. By 1910, Japan gained complete control over Korea and enacted Japanization policies, forcing Koreans to erase their culture by changing their names to Japanese names and only using the Japanese language. Japan also coerced thousands of girls and women into sexual slavery, becoming known as “comfort women.” Many women from the Philippines and China also found themselves in this terrible situation after Japan conquered those countries.

This is the environment in which Korean American Susan Ahn and her family fought against Japan. Her father Chang Ahn was known as the father of Korea due to his leadership as an activist for Korean independence. Chang was captured by Japan while he was in China, and tortured to death under Japanese custody. Susan’s brother Phillip used his acting in Hollywood films as a way to portray the evilness of Japan within the WWII-era Japanese characters he played. All of this motivated Susan to join the U.S. military to fight against Japan, leading her to become the first Asian American woman enlisted in the U.S. Navy.

Similarly, many Chinese Americans and Filipino Americans also joined the military to free Asian countries from Japan. Before World War II, Asian Americans were not allowed to serve in the U.S. military. However, soon after Japan’s attacks on Pearl Harbor, Asian Americans were granted permission to enlist. Filipino Americans like Dixon Campos and Domingo Los Banos were part of the all Filipino First and Second Infantry Regiments of the U.S. Army.

Students will consider the perspectives of Susan Ahn and her brother Phillip, as they write letters that they may have exchanged during World War II.

Provide students an opportunity to conduct additional research as needed to fulfill the requirements for each letter.

The letter from Phillip will include:

The letter from Susan is in response to Phillip’s letter and will include: