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United States Internment of Japanese Citizens during World War 2 Introduction What were the reasons behind the decision of the United States government to intern Japanese citizens during World War 2? Were they treated in the same way as citizens of other states with whom America was at war? Was this purely a security measure or were xenophobia and racism factors? During World War II, the U. S.
government and many Americans viewed Japanese citizens, Japanese Americans and their children and others considered to have enemy ancestry as potentially dangerous, especially if they were first generation immigrants. All sorts of methods were used against such people, many of them now considered constitutionally questionable. These included exclusion from military zones, travel restrictions, deportation, confiscation of property and repatriation as well as internment, all mentioned by Arthur Jacobs in his 2005 article, in his case referring to German citizens, so such moves were not just against those of Japanese descent. They applied for instance to German citizens. However it would perhaps have been easier for those of some races to escape restrictions rather than those of a very obvious racial type such as the Japanese. American is a nation made up for the most part of immigrant stock.
Think for instance of the thousands of families of German or Italian descent, by this time thoroughly Americanized. It would have been impossible to apply the same restrictions to them without seriously affecting the countrys infrastructure and even depriving them of military personnel. Background to internment of Japanese There were relatively few Japanese in America, only about 3, 000 before Hawaii became a state in 1898. After this time about 12, 000 people of Japanese descent moved to the American mainland form Hawaii. In 1908 there was an agreement between America and Japan to reduce the numbers migrating. By 1924 Japanese citizens were totally barred from migrating to the United States.
Those already in residence could not become citizens, though there children were so automatically because of their place of birth. These were seen by some, despite their relatively low numbers, as an economic threat, mainly because they were lot mere laborers, but became managers and owners of stores, boats and farms. So there was already some unjustified prejudice in place. America is not used to attacks on its own territory and after the surprise attack by Japanese planes on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 naturally citizens were in fear of another such attack.
Every person of possible Japanese descent was viewed, especially on the west coast, as an enemy agent. Invasion was anticipated daily and it seemed imperative that any possible help the Japanese could receive was eliminated as quickly as possible. The web site World War Two, Japanese Internment Camps describes the aftermath as War Hysteria. The representatives of the various states, as a consequence of the general feeling, put huge pressure on President Roosevelt to act decisively against people of Japanese descent who resided within their borders. 2 months later, on 19 th February 1942, Roosevelt signed the Executive Order 9066. Some 120, 000 people of Japanese citizens were removed from their homes at very short notice and placed in internment camps. These were in isolated places where the internees were judged least likely to cause any harm.
They were allowed to take very few possessions with them and this meant that fortune hunters were able to take advantage of these people by offering them minimal values for the goods they were forced to abandon. The reason given was that they might be guilty of spying for Japan. Yet half of those interned were children and two thirds of all those involved were already American citizens. In fact America only ever convicted 10 people, all Caucasian in origin, for spying on behalf of the Japanese Empire during World War 2, so these fears proved unfounded, though perhaps there are those who would contend that this was because of the internment policy, a statement which can never be proved either way.
The Internment period Internees over the age of 17 were later subjected to a loyalty test by asking them two questions: - 1. Are you willing to serve in the armed forces of the United States on combat duty wherever ordered? (Females were asked if they were willing to volunteer for the Army Nurse Corps or Women's Army Corps. ) 2. Will you swear unqualified allegiance to the United States of America and faithfully defend the United States from any or all attack by foreign or domestic forces and forswear any form of allegiance or obedience to the Japanese emperor, to any other foreign government, power or organization? Conditions in the camps were difficult guarded as they were by armed military personnel and soldiers would march the internees about. Families were often separated. Conditions were communal and on occasions inadequate.
There were cases of people dying because of lack of adequate medical care, according to the web site, World War 2, Japanese Internment camps in the USA. Camps were often in places where people would not normally choose to live such as desert areas with extremely high temperatures during the day and low ones at night. There was overcrowding with perhaps 3 or 4 families living in very small huts. Public Proclamation number 21, which came into effect in January 1945, allowed the internees to return to their homes, but the effects of their imprisonment remained. Some saw the camps as concentration camps and a violation of their rights under the Constitution, in particular the 14 th Amendment of 1868 which states in part: - No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. Others would see the action as also being in violation of Amendment 4 which is guards against arrests without probable cause i.
e. the belief that a crime has been commited. Once this idea is extended to the idea that a crime may possibly be commited at some future date a dictator ship results in which citizens loose all rights. Others, perhaps more philosophical, saw internment as a natural consequence of the Pearl Harbor attack and understood why America had acted as it had. Once the war was over though many remained in the US and were gradually able over prejudice and to rebuild their lives, though others returned to Japan, even some born in America... Conclusion The internment of those of Japanese descent was undoubtedly a knee jerk reaction that resulted in much hardship and unfairness.
It was almost certainly unconstitutional. However America was faced with a situation it had not been in before. Japanese citizens or those of Japanese descent were treated unfairly, but the American government of the day perhaps had little choice. That being said more could have perhaps been done during the three year period to ensure people were properly looked after.
Those in desert camps for instance could later have been moved to areas where the climate was easier to deal with. Also efforts could have been made to reunite families separated during the initial rapid action. America was no the only country to practice internment Italy, Canada and Great Britain also acted in this way for instance. There were hardships in the camps, but these were as nothing compared to what was happening to Allied forces captured by the Japanese who were often systematically beaten and starved, and the Japanese, like America, also imprisoned women and children May be it never should have happened, but it can at least be considered as the wrong thing happening for the right reasons, but there will always be those who consider this as a racial attack, picking on those of genetic similarity to the enemy. What happened and why is best summed up in the title of the web site The War Relocation Centers of World War II: When Fear was Stronger than Justice. America was very, very frightened.
Frightened people do not always react in the best way possible Works Cited Jacobs, Arthur D. , World War II - The internment of German American civilians, The Freedom of Information Times, 17 th May 2005, 18 th August 2008, web The War Relocation Centers of World War II: When Fear was stronger than Justice, Teaching with Historic Places Lesson Plans 18 th August 2008 web United States Constitution, Cornell University Law School, 18 th August 2008 web World War 2, Japanese Internments Camps, 18 th August 2008, web
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