Hatred and/or animosity toward Japanese extended right up until the 80s when then US felt economically threatened by Japan and took a hard swerve toward "nationalism", buckled down and tried harder to compete...

The 50s was easy to figure out... The US lost alot of service men min the Pacific and those memories were still fresh... Plus, Hollywood was crankin' out war movies by the dozens which were, to be honest, purdy hateful toward both the Japanese and the Germans but more so toward the Japanese who portrayed as something less than human...

BTW, seems that one common thread between today, the 80s and the 50s is "nationalism"... The Republican Party, and more recently it's Tea Party affiliates, has been beating the drum 24/7 going back to 9/11...

The difference this time is that the US is not competitive and doesn't really have the courage and will to get competitive because that would involve raising taxes, building a 21st century infrastructure, educating its people and getting off it's nihilistic ass... And we certainly aren't up to that task...

(Sorry for the drift...)

B~