A SAD PART OF HISTORY IN SISKIYOU COUNTY

The small town of Tule Lake is located in Siskiyou County very near the Oregon border. Named after a nearby lake, this small town is mostly known for growing potatoes and horseradish. Perhaps you have seen Tule Lake Horseradish in the condiment section of the grocery store. You can even take a tour of the factory and see how it is made.

Over 60 years ago Tule Lake played a grim role in U.S. history. It was one of ten war relocation camps that detained Japanese Americans during WWII. Starting May 26, 1942 the camp detained over 18,000 persons of Japanese decent coming from western Washington, Oregon and northern California and was known as the largest of the ten detention centers. The camp was also the last to close in March of 1946. The camp had squalid conditions and because of the fear that anyone of Japanese decent was an enemy of the United States, martial law was the norm.

How did they end up there? Anyone of Japanese decent whether an American citizen or not were asked to take a loyalty test. There were two questions that were difficult and confusing. Number 27 asked, are you willing to serve in the armed forces of the United States wherever ordered? Question 28 asked, would you swear unqualified allegiance to the United States, defend the United States and forswear allegiance to the Japanese emperor or any other power both foreign and domestic?

Some refused to answer because they were protesting incarceration and others were confused and didn’t know what to answer so they answered no to these two questions and found themselves driven from their homes to an internment camp.

Few of us know this but public law 405 was passed by congress in 1944 and signed by President Roosevelt. It was directed at Japanese American citizens permitting them to renounce their U.S. citizenship. Sadly, many did so because they were told that if they gave up their citizenship they could remain in safety at the internment camp. If not they could be released to a hostile environment and possibly separated from their families. Some were expatriated to Japan. Others remained, stripped of their citizenship and powerless.

There is so much history in Siskiyou County. As I write about our county I am amazed at what a colorful history we have in this rural place. Fortunately, the internment camps are gone, but we have come a long way since then in ensuring civil rights and equality.