Essay On Japanese Internment

December 7,1941, the gruesome attack on the "Gibraltar of the Pacific " or better known as Pearl Harbor, carried out by the Japanese. This was “a day that will live in infamy” (Franklin D. Roosevelt). 10 weeks after this fatal attack on our military, February 19, 1942 was a day in American history that would show other countries, Americas true colors. Executive Order 9066, signed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, authorized the evacuation of over 100,000 Japanese citizens to be relocated to Internment camps located all throughout the West coast. Ripped away from friends and family, and forced into Internment camps, they had to endure the horrendous conditions that these camps offered for months to come. Although racism and economic issues contributed to the Japanese Internment, the most significant reason for the Internment was the concern about national security threats. Racism played a huge role and helped build on the tension that was already among the American citizens and the Japanese. Discrimination and close to genocidal policies were already executed against the Chinese in earlier years motivated by fear. Anti-Japanese sentiment in the United States began before World War II while many Anti-Japanese organizations arose all around California before and after the attack on Pearl Harbor. On October 11,1906, the California …show more content…
Would anybody still care? I don't think the subject would draw anywhere near as much attention as it does when race can be dragged into center stage” (Unk). After all that as happened between America and other nations, why wasn’t the Irish, Chinese, and German decent Americans placed into Internment camps. This was an act of racism, pointed towards the Japanese, and because of the fear they were able to get a good majority of America to hop on board with