Japanese Internment Camps Essay

Words: 1674
Pages: 7

Japanese Internment One of the most surprising attacks on U.S. soil is known as Pearl Harbor. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked an American Naval base at Pearl Harbor near, Honolulu, Hawaii. Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes dropped bombs destroying American naval vessels, battleships and killing more than 2,000 sailors while wounding another 1,000. The very next day, President Roosevelt was granted his request to declare war on Japan. Following the attack, the American public believed that Japanese-Americans were loyal to the United States, but weeks later changed their minds. Americans became worried of Japanese-American espionage and believed Japan was planning an attack on the West Coast. Pressured by the public, President Roosevelt …show more content…
Not only were there internment camps for Japanese-Americans, but there were also camps for German-Americans and Italian-Americans who were also at war with the United States. There were ten internment camps established throughout the U.S. They included California, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, and Arkansas. The U.S. government announced that the relocation was for the safety of Japanese-Americans, but it was really to protect the American people. All relocation centers were located miles inland in remote areas and surrounded by barbed wire and armed …show more content…
Once the executive order was rescinded, the War Relocation Authority instituted a resettlement process that released internees and their families into temporary housing. Internees had a difficult time returning because many had lost their jobs, homes, and properties. They also encountered violence on their return, people reported there were shots fired and explosions near Japanese-American homes, businesses, and churches. Others thought the internment of Japanese descent people was “racially motivated rather than a military necessity”