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Japanese American Internment Camps Essay

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On December 7th 1941, the Japanese Navy bombed Pearl Harbor. Over 2,000 people died, creating mass hysteria and panic throughout America. The media quickly moved to further both fear and prejudice against Japanese, with racist propaganda being dispensed almost everywhere. Homes of Japanese citizens were raided while government officials took radios, flashlights and anything else they thought could be used to signal the enemy. Racism against Japanese citizens was rampant, with them being ”demonized as spies, saboteurs and enemy agents” (Behind the Wire). Some Japanese Americans, that were community leaders and seen as immediate suspects were arrested quickly and without due process. In February of the next year, President Roosevelt signed …show more content…

U.S. soldiers and police officers raided homes and confiscated radios, flashlights, anything that could be used to signal the enemy. They also confiscated any pieces of Japanese culture, even pictures of family members wearing traditional japanese clothing. According to ‘Iamanamerican.weebly.com. “In essence, the FBI was basing its searches of the houses of over 100,000 people on the basis of their national origin, and no evidence of disloyalty to the United States whatsoever” (Japanese American Rights in Regard to Interment). Japanese Americans were also forced to sell their homes and businesses within a week of their evacuation order, many being forced to “sell their property at a severe loss before departure” (Japanese-American Relocation). They earned a fraction of what their property was really worth, due to the short notice of evacuation. Bess K. Chin recalls her feelings of leaving everything behind to go live in the camps. In an interview for Telling Their Stories she says the events were “...Traumatic. We had no idea where we were going and we were told just to take the one suitcase. The notice says ‘camp life’ and they told us exactly what to take, in terms of bringing your own dishes. I remember that ”(Telling Their Stories). Although Executive order 9066 was presented for the safety of the public, the government violated several other rights of Japanese Americans, based solely on their

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