I wrote a history EE about the consequences of the Japanese internment camps in the US. My research question was: In what ways and to what extent were Japanese people in the United States impacted by their internment during World War II and after?
Structure of a History EE
I divided my EE into three sections: 1) economic impact, 2) social impact, and 3) cultural impact.
In the economic section, I wrote about how being in the internment camps affected people’s employment, education, and Ronald Reagan’s $20,000 restitution payments. For the second section, I focused on the relationships between Japanese Americans and other minorities in the US. In the third section, I analyzed how the internment camps caused cultural trauma, how that trauma was passed down from generation to generation, and the impact that cultural trauma has on identity and lifestyle.
Why did I choose this topic?
I decided I wanted to study the effects of the internment camps because of the contemporary application it could have. I noticed that, still to this day, there are people being persecuted for their background and beliefs. At the time I was looking for my EE topic, there were two current events that led me to find my final topic: 1) the Uighur re-education camps in Xinjiang China and 2) the unethical treatment of migrants in detention centers across the US.
Since these were current events, I couldn’t write a history EE about them. However, I wanted to still explore and address similar issues. I then found that the topic of Japanese internment camps was similar to those current events. So, I decided to continue with that topic because I was also interested in how it was an important turning point in Asian American history. In the end, I felt that my topic had relevance to current events and was something I was passionate about learning.
If you’re still searching for the right history extended essay topic, I hope that sharing my experience was helpful for you!
Tyus shares how he got an A on his History EE.
Check out our Extended Essay page for more examples on how to choose EE topics for other subjects.