Japanese Internment Camp Analysis

The internment camp image of the “Crowd behind barbed wire fence waving to departing friends on train” in Santa Anita, California illustrates a mystery uncovered. Taken by Julian Fowlkes in the early 1940’s, the image suggests that the American government during the time of WWII feared that an outbreak of violence and disorder would occur within the homeland by Japanese Americans after the atrocious attack on Pearl Harbor. “During February 19, 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt issued the executive order of 9066” (Maxwell 28). This executive order had the effect of relocating all persons of Japanese ancestry into internment camps through the usage of military personnel. A cause of this order to be placed upon the Japanese Americans was due …show more content…
But, because they were American citizens of Japanese ancestry, they were undoubtedly profiled as a race of threat in America at the time being. According to a personal experience, one author wrote, “The people looked at all of us, both citizens and aliens, with suspicion and mistrust” (Okubo 12). As seen in the photo, a group of Japanese Americans have been confined in an enclosed structure like caged animals; this provides support that the claim of suspicion and mistrust by the American people was far from invalid. Due to this speculation among Americans, the American government thought the best interest for the safety of the people was to create internment camps and relocate those of Japanese decent and ancestry. Unfortunately, this led to the creation of racial profiling and segregation. In addition, many civil rights embedded into the American society by the U.S. constitution were undeniably neglected by the American government. For instance, within the Fourteenth Amendment a statement certifies, “nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law” (Bumgarner 71). In this duration of time being, the American government did not wish to risk any chances of an attack within the U.S. so, the government swiftly created a plan of relocation …show more content…
To describe one of her experiences, she stated, “We had to make friends with the wild creatures in the camp, especially with the spiders, mice, and rats because we were outnumbered” (Okubo 68). This statement produces a description that details life inside the camp was harsh, uncomfortable and hazardous as the creatures listed, can pose a severe threat to a human being’s health and standard means of life. In addition, according to another firsthand experience, a statement made by one Japanese American forced into the camp said “It tears my heart to see them put babies in those wooden boxes on two-by-fours” (Modell 105). Placing babies in wooden boxes is equivalent to the same imagery of the barb wired border that surrounds those in the image who have been served a broken justice system as an answer by the government who deemed it as a fair process by both

Show More