Similarities Between Nazi Concentration Camps And Japanese Internment Camps

Nazi Concentration Camps Vs Japanese Internment Camps From the barbed wire fences to the loss of basic human rights the similarities and differences between the treatment of Japanese Americans in internment camps and Jewish people in concentration camps reveal a horrifying reality of wartime discrimination. World War II was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945 involving the majority of the nations of the world. During WWII in the U.S., internment camps were created for the Japanese since they were seen as a threat to the U.S. war effort. On the other hand in Europe during WWII, Nazi Germany created concentration camps where Jewish people were sent to be imprisoned. The Japanese internment camps in the U.S. and the nazi concentration

In both of the imprisonment of the Japanese Americans in internment camps and the Jewish community in Concentration Camps were motivated by fear and hatred of both groups respectfully during WWII. For example, according to They Called Us Enemy by George Takei “That same day, the president signed a proclamation declaring that every adult Japanese citizen inside the U.S was now an “Alien Enemy.” What this example is saying is that all Japanese citizens involved or not involved in the war were now seen as threats. This shows that ultimately just being apart of the Japanese demographic caused for the Japanese to be put into internment camps. Similarly, Nazi concentration camps also were motivated by fear and hatred. This can be seen in Aushchwitz: How death camp became center of Nazi Holocaust by The British Broadcasting Company when it says “Nazis spoke about their invasion as a race war between Germany and Jewish People” What this example is saying is that Nazi Germany’s main reason for invading was to get rid of the Jewish community. This shows that Jewish People were targeted for fears and hatred the Nazis had towards them and ultimately just being a part of the Jewish community which in all caused them to be sent off to the concentration camps. By examining these two examples, it is clear that Japanese internment camps and Nazi concentration

One major difference between these two was the living conditions at the camps. Nazi camps are known as death camps where the conditions in the camp were specifically designed to finish off the Jewish people, whereas, in Japanese internment camps, the severity of the conditions was less severe and more liveable. For example, according to Japanese Interment Camps by Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, and Matt Mullen “Each Relocation Center was its own “town”, and included schools, post offices, and work facilities, as well as farmland for growing food and keeping livestock… Each “town” was completely surrounded by barbed wire and guard towers.” What this example is saying is that Japanese internment camps allowed the Japanese people to live a somewhat normal life even allowing them to work to get paid low salaries but were still imprisoned and forced to stay in the camps. This shows that the Japanese camps had actual livable conditions with features you would see outside of the camps. However, Nazi concentration camps differed because the concentration camps were made to exterminate the Jewish people and were intentionally brutal. This can be seen in Aushchwitz: How death camp became center of Nazi Holocaust by The British Broadcasting Company when it says “They were sorted into those who could work and those who were to be immediately killed.” What this example