ThE Relocation Process
Between the years 1942-1945, the United States government forced over 120,000 Japanese Americans from their homes into prison camps located in remote locations throughout the United States. With this action, the federal government violated the Japanese Americans’ constitutional civil rights and liberties. The Americans blamed all Japanese, not just those living in Japan, for the tragic loss of 2,500 American lives resulting from Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. As a result of this attack, the United States became embroiled in World War II, which led to even more American deaths. Racism against the Japanese erupted when the United States government arbitrarily enacted a full scale relocation of all people of Japanese descent living on the West Coast to prison camps. Due to the Pearl Harbor attack, many Americans automatically stereotyped all Japanese Americans as the enemy and regarded them with fear, hate, and suspicion.
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On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt enacted Executive Order 9066, which ordered the exclusion and internment of all Japanese Americans residing on the West Coast. He also established the War Relocation Authority ( WRA) to administer the camps. Initially, the government transported internees to temporary centers, while the real relocation centers were being constructed. These temporary centers, built on on race tracks, fairgrounds, or livestock pavilions, were primitive and lacked adequate housing and food. The WRA then transported the internees to the permanent concentration camps, all of which were located in nearly uninhabitable areas of the United States. Camp conditions were poor and unsanitary with internees constantly fearing retribution from the armed guards.
Notably, Japanese Americans filed lawsuits to halt the mass incarceration, including Korematsu vs. US; in that case, the court ruled that the denial of civil liberties based on race and national origin was legal. Japanese Americans suffered greatly from their incarceration, losing homes, businesses, and loved ones. They were sent to prison camps solely because of their race. They felt betrayed by the American government, who humiliated and punished them despite their display of national loyalty and patriotism to the United States.
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