German, Italian, and Japanese clubs at El Dorado come together to reflect on World War II

El Dorado High School’s German, Italian, and Japanese Clubs recently came together for a luncheon in honor of the historic date in history, December 7.  The students and their advisors dined on Tony’s Little Italy pizza, conversed, laughed, and listened to Italian music. According to German and Italian Club Advisor, Dr. Gregory Beckman, Italians believe in meeting with friends and family, breaking bread, and having a festive time. 

The luncheon was also used as an opportunity to observe that on December 7, 1941, 2,403 Americans lost their lives at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii after Imperial Japan’s surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Naval Fleet stationed there.  This event propelled the United States into World War II against the Axis powers—Germany, Italy, and Japan.

In addition, the groups addressed and discussed the issue of President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066, which placed 125,000 people of Japanese ancestry living in the U.S. into internment camps for the duration of the war. One Japanese American, Fred Korematsu, defied this order but was subsequently captured, tried, and convicted. Korematsu appealed his case to the Supreme Court, contending that it was a violation of the due process clause under the Fifth Amendment. The Supreme Court, however, ruled against Korematsu, stating that, “Pressing public necessity may sometimes justify the existence of restrictions which curtail the civil rights of a single racial group.”

And finally, the students and teachers discussed how World War II came to an end in 1945, with the U.S. defeating Germany, Italy, and Japan. These three nations were devastated by the war. Instead of taking out revenge against its former enemies, the United States helped these three countries restructure their governments and rebuild their economies. Today, Germany, Italy, and Japan are thriving democracies and free-market economies. Once tyrannies, these nations are now models for the rest of the world.