Executive Order 906 Essay

December 7, 1941, Japanese planes bombed Pearl Harbor. Moments after, President Franklin Roosevelt declared war against the Axis Powers, joining in on World War II. On February 12, 1942, the Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which called for the internment of all Japanese Americans. Although the American population were insecure about their safety and American businessmen feared the Japanese invading the American economy, the main reason for the issuance of Executive Order 9066 was the racial discrimination against the Japanese. When Pearl Harbor happened, many Americans started to believe the propaganda posters about the Japanese. Dr. Seuss created a picture depicting the Japanese in America each individually handed a bomb while a scout

Growing Japanese populations, especially in the West Coast, caused Americans to kick out Japanese immigrants from their communities. Japs keep moving shows woman pointing at a sign on her porch that dismisses Japanese-Americans from her community (“Japs Keep Moving - This is a White Man’s Neighborhood”). This photo was taken in Hollywood, California and White residents from this area also founded the Hollywood Protective Association which was enacted by to “keep Hollywood White”. This picture represents nationwide hatred for Japanese-Americans and how Americans wanted to segregate them. This also shows how Americans took matters into their own hands and forced Roosevelt to enact Executive Order 9066. Executive Order 9066 placed all citizens of Japanese descent in internment camps. Even Japanese citizens from Peru were forcefully sent to American internment camps. “...the US government asked a dozen Latin American countries, among them Peru, to arrest its Japanese residents.”(Gonzales) This represents how Americans were insecure about the US national security. The US government did so because they were afraid those Japanese people could be potential spies, and that those spies would leak information that would harm the US. Also, more economic and racial issues began to surface as more Japanese-Americans began to settle in rural areas. “We desire California to grow just as fast as it is

Many families were separated, and the fathers were usually taken into custody by the FBI for investigation. “As four or five families with their sparse collections of clothing and possessions squeezed into and shared tar-papered barracks, life took on some familiar routines of socializing and school.” (Japanese Relocation During World War II)The living condition was hellish; unfinished barracks, multiple families living in very unhygienic small cramped spaces. Many women and children were overcome by disease and died, and if you were caught attempting to escape you were shot. Their rations were forty-eight cents per person, given on. The rations weren’t enough to sustain them the whole day, especially for the labour workers who worked all day. Everyone was hungry and a lot of medical care was needed, but not given. Their work and daily lives were accustomed to the standard japanese life and were paid by the government for their services. The children weren’t so lucky. Their health lacked and many suffered illnesses and never sought medical attention they needed. They were taught to speak japanese so they were ready when they were deported. The Japanese were given the opportunity to help fight for the war effort, and over 33,000 joined the war effort and all of them were placed in . Even though they fought more battles compared to other units, only about 800 Japanese-Americans that were killed in action.