Franklin Delano Roosevelt And Racial Stereotypes

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Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942 and authorized the internment of 110,000 Japanese Americans for the duration of World War II. At the time of the order the nation was reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor and citizens, especially along the West
Coast, feared another attack was imminent. Many believed that Japanese Americans were still loyal to
Japan and would act as spies, even though almost two­thirds of internees were United States citizens. Racial stereotypes and propaganda pieces that were prevalent before and during the war depicted the
Japanese as less than human and barbaric in nature. Internees in most cases lost their homes, businesses and possessions when they were interned. Despite this,