What was government logic behind Japanese internment camps?

Answer 1

2speamerfam

Teacher

Community / Jr. College

Editor, Debater, Expert, Educator

In order to understand the reason for the internment of the Japanese, you have to know a bit about World War II. Japan and Germany were allies, both fighting on the same side against England, France, and several other countries. As the war began, the United States had not yet joined in. But on December 7, 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, which was American territory even though it was not yet a state. With this attack, Japan automatically became our enemy, and the United States entered the war.

At this time, many Japanese people lived on the west coast of the United States. They worked hard, bought land, had children, got educations, and became citizens. They paid taxes and voted, just like other Americans. There were two problems, though. First, their country of origin, Japan, attacked the United States, and second, they were another race, and people then, as now, were sometimes prejudiced.

The United States government feared that Japanese people might be spies for Japan, and they took their land and placed them in camps, essentially ruining their lives without any evidence that any of them were spies.

Since the government did not take similar steps against German-Americans, it is reasonable to conclude that the internment was a result of prejudice against people of Asian origin.

That the government did this, without any evidence, is disgraceful and since that time, the government has formally apologized and made reparations to the people harmed or to their descendants. But this is not an episode in American history that we can be proud of.

Answer 2

See website: Japanese-American internment