Reasons For Japanese American Internment

World War II, the most patriotic time to live in the United States of America. Americans were able to prove themselves like they never had before. Most of the men across the continent signed up to be a part of the war, and the women helped with the jobs that those men left behind. Although this moment is a turning point in history, the greatest time to be an American, the Japanese American people could disagree. The treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II is constantly overlooked though. Around one hundred twenty thousand Japanese American people were forced into concentration camps based solely on if they or their parents were born in Japan. Although the United States was in a national emergency, Japanese Americans should not have been forced into internment because they were American citizens, it was not justified, and it transpired because of substandard political leadership.

The internment of Japanese Americans was not justified because it was pushing the rights of the U.S. Constitution and was seen as racist. Frank Murphy, an associate justice of the Supreme Court, a governor in Michigan, and a U.S. attorney general, believes that it goes against the Constitution to contain all of the Japanese Americans. This act would take over the constitutional rights of all the Japanese being put in internment camps. By putting the Japanese Americans in internment camps it takes away their constitutional rights away and is being racist toward a certain race of people.

Executive Order 9066 issued by President Roosevelt on February 19. 1942 was a result of this new racial hatred. This law forced 120,000 Japanese Americans to sell their property, leave their homes, and enter detention camps located around the United States. Many rights granted to citizens by the Constitution were blatantly overlooked during this entire procedure.

Shortly after the first bombs were dropped on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, the American people’s fear of the Japanese grew dramatically, especially for those Japanese living in America. Almost every Japanese American was seen as a threat to the country. On February 19th, 1942, Executive Order 9066 was issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, authorizing the relocation of Japanese Americans to camps further inland. Over 175,000 Japanese Americans were affected in some way by the order, even though more than 70,000 of them were born in the United States and were American citizens. The common perspective of the American people was shown through their use of the expression “A Jap’s a Jap,” virtually destroying the thought that any

Was President Roosevelt justified in ordering Executive Order 9066, which resulted in the internment of Japanese American citizens. I believe that he was justified in putting them into internment camps because we didn't know whether or not they could be trusted.

When Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942,1 thousands of Japanese-American families were relocated to internment camps in an attempt to suppress supposed espionage and sabotage attempts on the part of the Japanese government. Not only was this relocation based on false premises and shaky evidence, but it also violated the rights of Japanese-Americans through processes of institutional racism that were imposed following the events of Pearl Harbor. Targeting mostly Issei and Nisei citizens, first and second generation Japanese-Americans respectively,2 the policy of internment disrupted the lives of families, resulting in a loss of personal property, emotional distress,

While many Americans of the time would argue that any Japanese-looking person could have been dangerous and anti-America, in reality, the U.S. simply hated Japan and their culture which was shown through societal racism. Firstly, a document published in 1942, states, “All Japanese look very much alike to a white person-it is hard for us to distinguish between them… Many Japanese-Americans have been educated in Japan. Many, believers in Shintoism, worship the Emperor and regard his orders as superior to any loyalty they may owe the United States.” (Document H). Clearly, many white Americans felt that internment could be justified by the fact that it was hard to tell which Japanese-looking people were pro Japan and which were pro United States, therefore meaning that they should all be held captive. These Americans misunderstand the situation by getting the false impression that

On February 19th 1942, Roosevelt signed the executive order 9066. Under the terms of the order, people of Japanese descent were placed in internment camps. The United States’ justification for this abominable action was that the Japanese American’s may spy for their Homeland. Over 62% of the Japanese that were held in these camps were American Citizens. The United States’ internment of the Japanese was a poor and cowardly method of ‘keeping the peace.’ The United States was not justified in stowing away Japanese Americans into almost concentration camps. This act goes against the basic Bill Of Rights granted to all American citizens, the Fifth Amendment's command that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due

Following the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan, racial tensions increased in the United States, especially on the West Coast (Divine 898). The anti-Japanese sentiment led to President Franklin Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066, which gave military officials the power to limit the civil rights of Japanese Americans (Danzer 802). The order also authorized the forced relocation of all Japanese Americans to concentration camps (Divine 898). These camps were located in desolate deserts and flatlands in the interior of the United States (Sato 67). Two thirds of the 120,000 Japanese Americans who were forced to relocate were “Nisei”, or native born American citizens (Divine 898).

On December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into World War II (Prange et al., 1981: p.174). On February 19, 1942, United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 authorizing the Secretary of War and Military Commanders to prescribe areas of land as excludable military zones (Roosevelt, 1942). Effectively, this order sanctioned the identification, deportation, and internment of innocent Japanese Americans in War Relocation Camps across the western half of the United States. During the spring and summer of 1942, it is estimated that almost 120,000 Japanese Americans were relocated from their homes along the West Coast and in Hawaii and

Japanese Internment started from February 19,1942 to June 30,1946.The internment occurred After the Japanese performed a sneak Attack and bombed Pearl Harbor which killed 1,177 crewman.The aftermath of this attack was that Americans were afraid that some of the adopted american citizens of Japanese decent would attack or Japan had them their to spy.So for the panic;President Roosevelt ordered Executive Order 9066 declaring for the exclusion and internment of all Japanese Americans from the West Coast--where the majority of Japanese Americans lived, outside of Hawaii.I believe this Executive order was a negative decision and one of the worst choice america has ever made.

The relocation of Japanese Americans was an event that occurred within the United States during World War II. On February 19th, 1942, Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which forced all Japanese Americans living in the West Coast to be evacuated from the area and relocated to internment camps all across the United States, where they would be imprisoned. Approximately 120,000 people were sent to the camps and the event lasted through the years 1942 and 1945. The main cause of the relocation and internment of these people was because of fear made among Japanese people after Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941. Citizens of the United States had been worrying about the possibility of Japanese residents of the country aiding Japan, and/or secretly trying to destroy American companies.

In 1942, the anti-Asian sentiment took a different turn. As a result of America's involvement in the Second World War, the anti-Japanese sentiment strengthened and culminated in President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066. This gave the government the power to restrict any person from areas that the government deemed necessary for military purposes. This was almost invariably aimed at Japanese residents and internment camps sprung up across the west coast. This included not only first generation descendants, Issei, but second generation, Nissei, and their descendants as well. At this time, 62% of the Japanese population in the US were American citizens by birth and often had no connections to their ancestral home beyond their heritage. All told, 120,000 Japanese were held until the war ended. (for more info: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8420/main.html)

Due to pressure from state leaders near the west coast on February 19, 1942 Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 which resulted in the violent imprisonment of 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry. When the government gave its internment order, whites helped to round up and exile their Japanese neighbors. In 1942, over 100,000 Japanese Americans living on the West Coast of the United States were relocated to ten internment camps. More than two thirds of Japanese Americans had never shown disloyalty and were also citizens of the United States but where still sent to internment camps, under the Executive Order. The War Relocation Authority was created in April 1942 to control the assembly centers, relocation centers, and internment camps, and oversee the relocation of Japanese-Americans.

Slavery was not the only instance in American history of individuals of a certain race being held against their will or forced to live somewhere they would not choose to. The Japanese internment during World War II is a prime example of the American government neglecting the rights of a certain race. According to the National Archives [NA], after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, President Roosevelt ordered the relocation of all people of Japanese ancestry. These individuals, whether they were citizens or aliens, were to be moved inland, away from the Pacific military zone. “Japanese-American Relocation” states that the Roosevelt administration was “pressured to remove persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast by farmers seeking to eliminate Japanese competition, a public fearing sabotage, politicians hoping to gain by standing against an unpopular group, and military authorities.” Another reason given for the relocation was to protect those being relocated from the anti-Japanese prejudices of many Americans that may have led to others harming or attempting to harm Japanese-Americans.