WW2 Internment
Japanese Internment: racist or not? The “Japanese Internment” was an incident that occurred in World War II. The internment was to place all Japanese citizens into holding camps, wither American citizen or not. Some argue that the internment was solely based on racism, because the US were at war with Japan.
In February 1942 President Roosevelt signed the Executive Order 9066, which declared that the U.S. armed forces could designate military areas in which certain people had to be expelled. The order itself did not specify that Japanese Americans should be removed from military areas, but this is essentially what took place. The order was used to force all Japanese Americans on the west coast of the United States into internment camps. The word internment means to confine, mainly used in times of war. Most of those forced into the camps were American born; others were Japanese immigrants. However, all had already made a good themselves in America. Many were professionals such as lawyers, and doctors, and thousands of Japanese Americans even served in the U.S. army during WWII. Many photographs depict the difficulties that many Japanese American’s had adjusting to life in the camps. Entire families were given one room to live in. Showers and toilets were communal and often set in the middle of the camps offering no privacy for the internees. Internees could not bring personal belongings into the camps, so they often only had the clothes they were wearing. some of the internees were separated from their families, adult or child. For children who are the age of seventeen, were given an loyalty test, in which officials were to ask questions. Surprisingly the test only consisted of two questions, 1. Are you willing to serve in the armed forces of the United States on combat duty wherever ordered? (Females were asked if they were willing to volunteer for the Army Nurse Corps or Women's Army Corps.) 2. Will you swear unqualified allegiance to the United
In February 1942 President Roosevelt signed the Executive Order 9066, which declared that the U.S. armed forces could designate military areas in which certain people had to be expelled. The order itself did not specify that Japanese Americans should be removed from military areas, but this is essentially what took place. The order was used to force all Japanese Americans on the west coast of the United States into internment camps. The word internment means to confine, mainly used in times of war. Most of those forced into the camps were American born; others were Japanese immigrants. However, all had already made a good themselves in America. Many were professionals such as lawyers, and doctors, and thousands of Japanese Americans even served in the U.S. army during WWII. Many photographs depict the difficulties that many Japanese American’s had adjusting to life in the camps. Entire families were given one room to live in. Showers and toilets were communal and often set in the middle of the camps offering no privacy for the internees. Internees could not bring personal belongings into the camps, so they often only had the clothes they were wearing. some of the internees were separated from their families, adult or child. For children who are the age of seventeen, were given an loyalty test, in which officials were to ask questions. Surprisingly the test only consisted of two questions, 1. Are you willing to serve in the armed forces of the United States on combat duty wherever ordered? (Females were asked if they were willing to volunteer for the Army Nurse Corps or Women's Army Corps.) 2. Will you swear unqualified allegiance to the United