What was the Japanese-American Internment?

Answer 1

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, a widespread panic swept across America, but moreso on the West Coast where the majority of the Japanese-American population resided. The military perceived a threat of espionage and sabotage by the many Japanese and Japanese-Americans living in the US. Ignoring civil rights and the Constitution, about 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry - which included the elderly, children, and anyone with at least 1/8th drop of Japanese blood - were forced out of their homes and relocated to assembly centers, then divided out to 10 concentration camps which later were referred to as internment. They were political prisoners fueled by racism, and were isolated in desert camps for the next three years, roughly 1942 to 1945.

Conditions were poor, living in tar-paper barracks mixed with the harsh elements of the deserts. Food was minimal even though it was served 3 times a day. Showers, latrines, and laundry facilities were shared by everyone, leaving little room for privacy. Family dynamics fell apart. There were violent riots throughout the camps that often were played down by the press. And although these camps were nothing like the Nazi death camps, they were still very demoralizing to the internees. There were outbreaks of diseases and illnesses, and black marketing for scarce commodities. There were reports of several shootings, some even fatal, and people disappearing into the desert and never seen again.

When a loyalty questionnaire was put together by the government, internees were divided as to how to answer the questions. As an attempt to draft eligible men into the war, the two questions left many people without citizenship from either country, - the US or Japan. Those who were considered loyal went on to support the war, establishing the segregated 442nd Combat Regiment (one of the most highly decorated units in US history). Those who were considered disloyal, the "no-no" boys, were considered instigators or flight risks, and were sent further into the prison-like maximum security camp at Tule Lake.

After the war, some men were still held in prison until 1946, those who were still considered "dangerous" based on their social and political status within the Japanese-American communities. Despite all the mass round-ups and interrogations, no one was actually found guilty of espionage.

(Japanese-Canadians faced similar treatment, with those of Japanese ancestry perceived as "enemy aliens" and eventually banished from British Columbia entirely.)