Internment of Japanese Americans

Quick Facts: Who was Internment of Japanese Americans?

Subject:

Internment of Japanese Americans

Known for:

Forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII by the U.S. government.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

During World War II, about 120,000 people of Japanese descent were forcibly relocated and incarcerated in 10 concentration camps in the United States, operated by the War Relocation Authority (WRA), mostly in the western interior of the country. About two-thirds were U.S. citizens. These actions were initiated by Executive Order 9066, issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, following Imperial Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. About 127,000 Japanese Americans then lived in the continental U.S., of which about 112,000 lived on the West Coast. About 80,000 were Nisei ('second generation'; American-born Japanese with U.S. citizenship) and Sansei ('third generation', the children of Nisei).

Career & Major Achievements

The rest were Issei ('first generation') immigrants born in Japan, who were ineligible for citizenship. In Hawaii, where more than 150,000 Japanese Americans comprised more than one-third of the territory's population, only 1,200 to 1,800 were incarcerated. Internment was intended to mitigate a security risk which Japanese Americans were believed to pose. Military authorities justified exclusion by claiming that an "unascertained number" of potentially disloyal Japanese Americans remained on the West Coast and that immediate separation between loyal and disloyal was impracticable. Military necessity was interpreted broadly to include not only direct defense concerns, but also civilian morale and broader wartime considerations.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The implementation of internment developed in stages, progressing from asset restriction measures to large-scale removal and incarceration. The scale of the incarceration in proportion to the size of the Japanese American population far surpassed similar measures undertaken against German and Italian Americans who numbered in the millions and of whom some thousands were interned, most of these non-citizens. Following the executive order, the entire West Coast was designated as a military exclusion area, and all Japanese Americans who were living there were taken to assembly centers before they were sent to concentration camps in California, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, and Arkansas. Similar actions were taken against individuals of Japanese descent in Canada. The internees were prohibited from taking more than they could carry into the camps, and many of them were forced to sell either some or all of their property, including their homes and their businesses.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1942: 1942 Milestone — Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, following Imperial Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Notable Quotes by Internment of Japanese Americans

“The Supreme Court upheld exclusion under wartime necessity, acknowledging that ancestry based distinctions would ordinarily conflict with constitutional equality principles.” (1944)

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Internment of Japanese Americans

True or False: “The initial incarceration of Japanese Americans was solely justified by direct defense concerns related to military action.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Military necessity was interpreted broadly to include not only direct defense concerns but also civilian morale and broader wartime considerations.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abdulsalami Abubakar — Historical peer (Born in 1942) (1942): Retired Nigerian Army General who oversaw the transition to democracy in 1999.
• Alexander Belyaev — Historical peer (Died in 1942) (1942): Pioneering Soviet science fiction writer, known as 'Russia's Jules Verne'
• Adam Kuper — Historical peer (Born in 1941) (1941): Influential British social anthropologist known for research in Southern Africa.
• Adnan Khayr Allah — Historical peer (Born in 1941) (1941): Iraqi military officer and Minister of Defense, closely associated with the Ba'ath regime.

Frequently Asked Questions about Internment of Japanese Americans