The ideas that are often associated with World War II usually relate to the deadly warfare, to Nazi Germany, and to the utilization of the atomic bomb. However, one of the most overlooked and appalling events that took place during World War II was the internment of Japanese Americans. The event that triggered the policy of internment was the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on December 7th, 1941. The bombing spurred fear among millions of Americans, which would eventually lead the United States into World War II. In response to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S Government and President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued new laws which would begin the relocation of Japanese Americans. 120,000 Japanese Americans were forced to relocate …show more content…
Similar to the implications of Executive Order 9066, Executive 9012 would drastically change the lives of Japanese Americans and the landscape of the United States. Firstly, the order contributed to the relocation process for Japanese Americans by applying new strategies to force them into internment camps Executive Order 9102 created the War Relocation Authority, which established the “orderly evacuation of designated persons living in the restricted military area” (Gallivan). In essence, it worked in concert with the previous executive order as a way to efficiently remove Japanese Americans from their current residences. The process of sending Japanese Americans to new War Relocation Authority camps was painful and arduous (Aitken). The burdensome removal process and the disruption of Japanese Americans’ lives ultimately contributed to the deleterious treatment towards Japanese …show more content…
United States. Minoru Yasui was arrested for curfew regulation because Yasui believed that it infringed his rights as a citizen (Aitken). Similarly, Gordon Hirabayashi disobeyed Executive Order 9066 by refusing to evacuate in Seattle. Both Yasui and Hirabayashi were charged for violating public laws, which led them to challenge the U.S. Supreme Court (Aitken). Furthermore, Mitsuye Endo, a Japanese American woman, challenged the Supreme Court based on a habeas corpus petition (Aitken). Her petition was initially denied, which led her to remain in internment for two years. However, the Supreme Court later ruled, “Endo’s detention in the camps violated her civil rights” and in January, 1945, the War Department rescinded the evacuation orders and arranged for Endo to leave the camps (Takagi). These Supreme Court cases would help expose Japanese American mistreatment to the public and influence internment