In the history of California, race-based issues occupy a central place in the state's overall narrative. These issues, unique in their own right, contribute to the uniqueness of California. The state has experienced prosperous episodes that have not always guaranteed positive outcomes for some of its inhabitants. The induction of the railroad era made the state rich, but left many behind, like the Chinese who helped build it (McCoy). As California grew and its wealth increased, it would experience many more race-based issues. In the 20th century, the most important of these issues were the removal of the Japanese during World War II, migrant workers' rights during the 1960s, and the Watts riots in 1965. Just as race-based events in the previous century had affected the course of California history, these events would influence the state into the 21st century.
             One of the most appalling race-based events in California occurred during the onslaught of WWII, with the relocation of Japanese Americans. This event "has been called 'our worst wartime mistake,' a blunder resulting from fear, confusion, and racial prejudice" (Rice 479). Beyond a wartime mistake, it may be one of the biggest and most embarrassing mistakes on the part of California and the President of the United States. The policy resulted from the bombing of Hawaii's Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on December 7, 1941. The attack sparked long seeded anti-Japanese sentiment that was evident for decades (McCoy). The United States military played into the myth and added to the hysteria when it concluded that the attack was somehow aided by Japanese Americans. The solution: relocate people of Japanese ancestry and "other subversive persons" from the west coast to other areas of the United States (Rice 479). This was in spite of the fact that the majority of these people were American citizens, which violated their rights se...