Potentially Dangerous Enemy Aliens: Experiences at Fort Missoula and Transformative Immigration Policy in the United States

Author

Daniel Smith, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow

Year of Award

2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Anthropology

Department or School/College

Anthropology

Committee Chair

Gregory Campbell

Commitee Members

Riley Auge, Nicole Webb

Keywords

internment, immigration, Fort Missoula, Italian, Japanese

Publisher

University of Montana

Subject Categories

Social and Cultural Anthropology

Abstract

In this paper, I attempt to comprehend the experiences of Italian and Japanese internees who were detained at Fort Missoula’s Alien Detention Center during World War II. Furthermore, I draw upon historical patterns of United States’ immigration policies that greatly affected perspectives and social values between various ethnic groups. Simultaneously, national immigration policies shifted across space and time reflecting ethnocentric ideals and discriminatory campaigns that altered past cultural, political, and economic landscapes. The events that produced the internment of Italian and Japanese men at Fort Missoula varied greatly and are critical to examine through historical records. Such records pertain to the experiences of Japanese Americans who were subject to loyalty hearings at Fort Missoula’s T-1 military courtroom during World War II. The secondary purpose of this paper is to establish a foundation in which to design and create a travelling display for museum purposes. The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, located in Missoula, Montana, seeks to develop and construct a travelling display to draw upon the history, conflicts, and importance of those who were detained at Fort Missoula from 1941 to 1944. Museum institutions seek to serve the interests of their surrounding communities. In this light, the historical narratives of a dynamic physical and cultural landscape in Missoula become necessary to understand. Aspects of research, details, and methodology supported in this paper reflect core concepts to efficiently and creatively build a travelling display. Understanding such concepts emphasize positive and negative impacts relevant to terminology as one attempts to conduct historical research and a contemporary analysis of social, political, and economic issues.

Recommended Citation

Smith, Daniel, 2017 Potentially Dangerous Enemy Aliens: Experiences at Fort Missoula and Transformative Immigration Policy in the United States. The University of Montana.