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Written by: Marcia Motter
Teacher Clayton Middle School mmotter@washoe.k12.nv.us After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, was the internment of Japanese-Americans justified?
You are going to be the featured guest on CNN. You are an expert on the topic of Japanese internment. You have been asked to discuss the justification of the internment of Japanese-Americans in this country after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Sunday, December 7, 1941.
In a response, write an essay explaining your answer. Justify your reasons using specific evidence from the sources available.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, was the internment of Japanese-Americans justified?
Historical Background:
The bombing of Pearl Harbor on Sunday, December 7, 1941 drastically changed the lives for Japanese Americans living in the United States, specifically for those living on the West Coast. After the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan, some Americans became afraid and fearful of the Japanese. They worried that Japanese Americans already living in the United States might help Japan with future attacks or be saboteurs. The United States government slowly began to restrict the rights of Japanese Americans and eventually forced them to relocate from their homes and imprisoned them in internment camps between the years of 1942-1946. Most of the Japanese American population lived on the west coast of the United States, with the majority living in the states of Washington, Oregon and California. There was also a large population of Japanese Americans living on the islands of Hawaii. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942. This order authorized the war department to designate military areas from which “any and all persons” may be excluded. Although this order never specifically named Japanese Americans, it soon became clear that they would be the only group