Japanese Internment Camps Research Paper

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Pages: 5

The attack on Pearl Harbor from Japan was somewhat the beginning of how Japanese-Americans would be treated and put into internment camps. Racism was still at large in the United States towards the Japanese and Chinese. They were considered a “third” race. Around the early 1900’s, there were anti-Japanese campaigns such as the San Francisco Board of Education’s. It ordered Japanese-Americans to attend segregated schools along with the Chinese and other Asian-Americans (6) After the attack on Pearl Harbor this only intensified and ignited the racism, especially in the south (4). It was December 7, 1941 when the attack on Pearl Harbor started. It was an attack from Japan by the use of their naval force. A total of 18 ships and 188 airplanes …show more content…
This prompted President Franklin D. Roosevelt to sign the Execute Order 9066 - this allowed military commanders to relocate any Japanese-American or of Japanese descendent to be relocated and put into “relocation camps” which were just concentration camps. There were no exceptions to the rule - “every men, women, children, the elderly, orphans as young as three months old, and hospital patients were sent to these camps” (7). Over 100,000 people were relocated and put into these concentration camps such as Manzanar in California, Gila River in Arizona, Minidoka in Idaho, Topaz in Utah, and many other locations (1). Many Japanese-Americans only had a one-week time to pack minimal belongings and take care of business such as their properties. Rich or poor, it caused a complete 180 degree flip to their …show more content…
The living conditions of these camps were horrible and difficult to live in. These shelters were built in a rush because the military was determined to put the Japanese-Americans in them as soon as possible. They were made out of wood covered with tar paper. The rooms only had cots, blankets, and one light bulb (6). They all had to share many things which included the toilet, bathing, and dining areas (6). Chizuku, who was in the internment camps, realized she was basically living in a prison when an elderly man was shot and killed because he could not comprehend when a soldier yelled “Halt” as he kept walking. The camps were surrounded by barbed wires which prevented anyone from escaping. It was also stationed with armed guards who patrolled around the