How did the concentration camps in America differ from the camps in Germany?

Answer 1

German concentration camps were mostly extermination or death camps designed to murder the inmates, primarily Jews. Some camps also sent out inmates to be used as slave labor. All the German camps were operated in total violation of international law and well outside all standard norms of behavior. The American camps were not "concentration" camps, but internment camps for Japanese, German & Italian nationals, as well as several thousand Japanese-Americans citizens and Japanese legal aliens from the west coast of the US. In accordance with international law, those foreign nationals from enemy countries (in the US when the war started) were interned in the camps only as long as the war lasted, and were freed at the end of the war. Unfortunately there are many myths and misconceptions about the relocation and internment of Japanese in the US. Japanese-American citizens and legal aliens were not relocated from Hawaii, the mid-west or the east coast of the United States. Only those living in the west coast areas were subject to this government action. Japanese-Americans were released from these camps based on various criteria, some well before the end of the war, others later near the end. Most of the Japanese-Americans that were interned the longest were from families that were unwilling to swear allegiance to the United States. Internment was based on the US government suspicion that many of the Japanese in America as legal aliens were loyal to Japan not the United States. In fact, a minority of those interned were vocally pro-Japanese and anti-American. Many Japanese-Americans volunteered to serve in the US Military during the war. If they were currently interned, then they were permanently released to serve. The volunteer rates of those inside the camps was actually lower than from those Japanese-Americans outside the camps. In any event, it was not the policy of the US government to mistreat the internees. In fact the internees were generally well treated and cared for in almost all cases. The US court system had ruled in WW2 that it was legal for the government to take this action. Regardless, the Japanese-American citizens believed that the idea was wrong for them to have been sent to the camps in the first place. They petitioned the US government for compensation after the war. Eventually the US government apologized and paid some compensation to former internees, but the bitterness would remain for many.

Answer 2

The POW camp in Arizona was plush compared to the POW camps in Germany. They had work, they were paid for their work, they had concerts, they had plenty of food (which made the towns people mad because the prisoners had it better than they did) and their quarters were nice. They had good clothing, shoes and hats. The US naively thought if they did not treat the German POWs well then the Nazis would not treat their people well. What a joke. Our men who were POWs were treated deplorably.

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When people talk about US 'concentration camps' in the context of World War 2 they generally mean internment camps for Japanese Americans, not POW camps.

Answer 3

where were the american concentration camps ???????????

Answer 4

internment camps they just made them live in like a gehtoo and the concentration camps the like tried to kill them.