Propaganda

Propaganda is a media technique used to reveal tensions, fears and conflicts between two parties. Propaganda has been used in many societies throughout many centuries as a way to promote warfare, without violence (Miles 5/20/14). Propaganda can come in all different shapes and sizes, ranging from posters to movies. Propaganda can be subtle or obvious, but it is always used to manipulate social suggestion (ibid). In the case of the Americans and Japanese during WW2, one of the uses of propaganda was to generalize Japanese characteristics.

Lily MundellNoji- Period 2

Specifically, propaganda was used to encompass all Japanese as a merciless, animal like opposition (Miles 5/20/14). Because of WW2 propaganda, cultural and racial hatred emerged. The attack on Pearl Harbor spurred uneasy feelings, in Americans, regarding the Japanese. Propaganda furthered these overwrought feelings. Propaganda used many tactics to change the public’s opinion, especially the fear tactic. This tactic is used to scare the viewer. Often portrayed as beast or menacing figure, the enemy is inducing fear among another party in the propaganda (Gretton 5/19/14). Propaganda spread racial stereotypes, such as Japanese yellow skin pigment and slanted eyes, as well as creating new stereotypes like that the Japanese were threatening killers. Propaganda was displayed in forms of media that people saw everyday, including Life and Time Magazine (Miles 5/20/14). We can see that the conflict between America and Japan was very much social warfare as well as physical.

How did the United States use propaganda?

The American propaganda concerning the Japanese implanted fright and racial prejudice about the Japanese in order to acquire support of the United States during World War Two. It is obvious that propaganda changed the way Americans see the Japanese because we ended up confining them in camps and treating them as complete inferiors. Propaganda helped assure that the cruel treatment of Japanese was okay. In general, the propaganda justified the treatment of the Japanese, rationalized the conditions the Japanese were contained in and generalized characteristics of the Japanese race (Miles 5/20/14).

This relates to Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet because of the conflicts we see between the Japanese, Chinese and Americans. In the Fire chapter, people of Japanese origin burn all their belongings that might link them to Japan, as a way of not getting arrested. Henry’s father forces him to wear the “I am Chinese” pin to avoid being associated with the Japanese, which shows how people felt towards the Japanese. Finally, Henry and Keiko are mistreated at school by the white kids which shows how even kids have been affected by the propaganda. I can now understand why all these events in the book were occuring, and how propaganda led to negative attiudes about the Japanese.

How is this illustrated in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet?

United States Propaganda Regarding the Japanese During World War Two

Here we see a clear example of the Japanese being pinned as an animal like race.

Again, kids cartoons are projecting Japanese stereotypes and negative opinions of the Japanese.

Walt Disney used children's cartoons to explain America's feelings about the Japanese.

1. More information on Japanese propaganda2. Examples of US Propaganda3. WW2 Xenophobia

Where can I find more information about this topic?

What is Propaganda?

Here the Japanese is depicted as a monster. It clearly states that the Japanese are the enemy.

How did the propaganda influence the people?

Here the Japanese's supposed motives are revealed.

"Commando Duck: Donald Duck Against the Japanese | 1944 | WW2 Animated Propaganda Film by Walt Disney." YouTube. YouTube, 1944. Web. 19 May 2014.Gretton, George, John C. Clews, John B. Whitton, and Arthur Larson. "Communist Propaganda Techniques." International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-) 41.1 (1965): 100. Web. 19 May 2014.""Jap Trap," World War II Propaganda Poster." "Jap Trap," World War II Propaganda Poster. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014.King, Mike. "America’s Disgusting & Idiotic Propaganda Posters of World War II." Daily Stormer. N.p., 8 Oct. 2013. Web. 25 May 2014.Miles, Hannah. "WWII Propaganda: The Influence of Racism – Artifacts Journal - University of Missouri." Artifacts Journal RSS. Campus Writing Program, Mar. 2012. Web. 24 May 2014."Tokio Jokio (1943)." YouTube. YouTube, 1943. Web. 19 May 2014."World War 2 Poster - Jappy So-o-o Happy When This Happen to You." World War 2 Poster - Jappy So-o-o Happy When This Happen to You. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014.

Works Cited