Japanese-American Internment(1941-1948)
Why were the Japanese-American people interned?
After the bombing of the Pearl Harbor by Japan, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the removal of 110,000 people that contain Japanese ancestry in them. This order was called the Executive Order 9066. Out of two-thirds of those people who were removed were actually United States citizens. They were all removed and put into internment camps. These internment camps were like concentration camps. The term “Internment camps” were only used by the Americans when they put the Japanese people in the camps. Families of those interned would actually voluntarily join them in the interment to be with them through those harsh conditions.
The button below is a link to Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga's description of the preparation for evacuating to an incarceration camp.
What did the Government do to other ethnicities?
Also right after the bombing, President Roosevelt issued Proclamations 2525, 2526, and 2527. These Proclamations allowed law enforcements to arrest “potentially dangerous enemy aliens”. They did, however, arrest many people that they thought were potentially dangerous enemy aliens who mostly were German, Japanese, or Italian ancestry. These people that were arrested had to go through cases in which they had to prove they weren’t potentially dangerous. Some would be released and on parole while others were put into the interment. The United States even offered to intern “allegedly dangerous enemy aliens” that lived in Latin American countries. They even told them which enemy aliens should be interned. Some Latin American countries even accepted the offer and deported over 6,600 people of Japanese, German, or Italian ancestry to the United States for the interment. Some of those people deported from the Latin American countries received a hearing but they didn’t even know why they were deported, but they were deported based on hearsay or for other political reasons. Also the United States implemented the Individual Exclusion Program under the authority of the Executive order 9066. This order excluded individuals with German or Italian ancestry from designated military zones. They even excluded them if they were American Citizens. The War Department issued exclusion order for hundreds of individuals. Many of these individuals living in military zones and elsewhere in America were subject to curfew and other restrictions.
Also right after the bombing, President Roosevelt issued Proclamations 2525, 2526, and 2527. These Proclamations allowed law enforcements to arrest “potentially dangerous enemy aliens”. They did, however, arrest many people that they thought were potentially dangerous enemy aliens who mostly were German, Japanese, or Italian ancestry. These people that were arrested had to go through cases in which they had to prove they weren’t potentially dangerous. Some would be released and on parole while others were put into the interment. The United States even offered to intern “allegedly dangerous enemy aliens” that lived in Latin American countries. They even told them which enemy aliens should be interned. Some Latin American countries even accepted the offer and deported over 6,600 people of Japanese, German, or Italian ancestry to the United States for the interment. Some of those people deported from the Latin American countries received a hearing but they didn’t even know why they were deported, but they were deported based on hearsay or for other political reasons. Also the United States implemented the Individual Exclusion Program under the authority of the Executive order 9066. This order excluded individuals with German or Italian ancestry from designated military zones. They even excluded them if they were American Citizens. The War Department issued exclusion order for hundreds of individuals. Many of these individuals living in military zones and elsewhere in America were subject to curfew and other restrictions.
What was the result at the end of the war?
When the war was closer to ending, the government of the United States continued to kick the internees back to their country, however, they started to release more people out of the interment when they were no longer “dangerous”. By the end of World War II, over 31,000 suspected enemy aliens and their loved ones have been interned throughout the United States. In these suspected aliens some were even Jewish refugees from Germany. Not all of these people that were interned stayed interned throughout the whole war. The Department of Justice reviewed individual cases and granted parole to some of these people. Also, some of the people that were interned chose to or were forced to go back to the country of their nationality, which most of them included Japan, Germany, or Italy. Some of these internees pursued legal means to avoid repatriation and be released from the interment. It took several years to break the interment program down. The Department of Justice ended up closing the last existing internment camp and released the internees in 1948.
When the war was closer to ending, the government of the United States continued to kick the internees back to their country, however, they started to release more people out of the interment when they were no longer “dangerous”. By the end of World War II, over 31,000 suspected enemy aliens and their loved ones have been interned throughout the United States. In these suspected aliens some were even Jewish refugees from Germany. Not all of these people that were interned stayed interned throughout the whole war. The Department of Justice reviewed individual cases and granted parole to some of these people. Also, some of the people that were interned chose to or were forced to go back to the country of their nationality, which most of them included Japan, Germany, or Italy. Some of these internees pursued legal means to avoid repatriation and be released from the interment. It took several years to break the interment program down. The Department of Justice ended up closing the last existing internment camp and released the internees in 1948.
How does this relate to the question "Does racial equality depend upon government actions"?
This example of the Japanese American Interment shows how easy it is for the government to make racial inequality orders/laws. In this way racial inequality depended upon government action. Sure they responded to racial inequality based upon the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but the US government made a generalization of all Japanese people are to be considered terrorist since they interned their own Japanese citizens. The US government can even take control of other countries’ racial inequalities if they wanted to. Most of the Latin American countries are allies of the United States and since the United States is a super power, they obeyed and took their offer. The United States could easily take control of these allies if they wanted to because of their power. The US has the power to create this racial inequality laws/orders so therefore they have the power to make racial equality for all. By the end of interment the US realized it's wrong doings and ended this racial inequality. It took over 40 years for the government to really say that they were sorry and paid money to the people who were sent to the interment camps. This example shows that racial equality depended upon government action.
This example of the Japanese American Interment shows how easy it is for the government to make racial inequality orders/laws. In this way racial inequality depended upon government action. Sure they responded to racial inequality based upon the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but the US government made a generalization of all Japanese people are to be considered terrorist since they interned their own Japanese citizens. The US government can even take control of other countries’ racial inequalities if they wanted to. Most of the Latin American countries are allies of the United States and since the United States is a super power, they obeyed and took their offer. The United States could easily take control of these allies if they wanted to because of their power. The US has the power to create this racial inequality laws/orders so therefore they have the power to make racial equality for all. By the end of interment the US realized it's wrong doings and ended this racial inequality. It took over 40 years for the government to really say that they were sorry and paid money to the people who were sent to the interment camps. This example shows that racial equality depended upon government action.
Some of the Interment locations include:
Some of these internment locations included Sharp Park Detention Station, California; Kooskia Internment Camp, Idaho; Fort Missoula Internment Camp, Montana; Fort Stanton Internment Camp and Santa Fe Internment Camp in New Mexico; Ellis Island Detention Station, New York; Fort Lincoln Internment Camp, North Dakota; Fort Forrest, Tennessee; and Crystal City Internment Camp, Kenedy Detention Station, and Seagoville Detention Station in Texas.
Some of these internment locations included Sharp Park Detention Station, California; Kooskia Internment Camp, Idaho; Fort Missoula Internment Camp, Montana; Fort Stanton Internment Camp and Santa Fe Internment Camp in New Mexico; Ellis Island Detention Station, New York; Fort Lincoln Internment Camp, North Dakota; Fort Forrest, Tennessee; and Crystal City Internment Camp, Kenedy Detention Station, and Seagoville Detention Station in Texas.