How the Government Justified Internment Camps for Japanese-Americans
Many people forget what happened to the Japanese-Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbor, many may not care since it was so long ago. But, it is something that should never be forgotten. After the attacks on Pearl Harbor the United States feared that the Japanese-Americans that were in the United States were here as spies, and meant to do harm on American soil. With the United States at a heightened state of fear, they took action. The Constitution guarantees American citizens no imprisonment without due process of law, yet has been violated by the federal government in at least two American wars. After the events of Pearl Harbor, which lead to the Japanese-Americans being placed in internment camps, it gave the political figures justifications for their actions at that time.
After the attacks on Pearl Harbor, the President of the United States was pressured from the military and political advisors to take action and address the fears of the nation. They feared that there would be …show more content…
He received a letter from Senator Harley Kilgore, a Democratic member of the powerful Senate Committee on Military Affairs. This letter is just one example of political pressure to deal with the issue of Japanese-Americans on the West Coast the Roosevelt was receiving. The letter was received by the White House the day after Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 (President’s Official File 4805: Military Areas, 1941-1942). Senator Harley Kilgore informed the President of the protests he was receiving from people distant from the West Coast with concerns of the danger of Japanese and other inhabitants of that vicinity. He believed that the West Coast should be declared a military zone which would give the government the right to place residents into internment camps regardless of the constitution (Kilgore,
Many people forget what happened to the Japanese-Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbor, many may not care since it was so long ago. But, it is something that should never be forgotten. After the attacks on Pearl Harbor the United States feared that the Japanese-Americans that were in the United States were here as spies, and meant to do harm on American soil. With the United States at a heightened state of fear, they took action. The Constitution guarantees American citizens no imprisonment without due process of law, yet has been violated by the federal government in at least two American wars. After the events of Pearl Harbor, which lead to the Japanese-Americans being placed in internment camps, it gave the political figures justifications for their actions at that time.
After the attacks on Pearl Harbor, the President of the United States was pressured from the military and political advisors to take action and address the fears of the nation. They feared that there would be …show more content…
He received a letter from Senator Harley Kilgore, a Democratic member of the powerful Senate Committee on Military Affairs. This letter is just one example of political pressure to deal with the issue of Japanese-Americans on the West Coast the Roosevelt was receiving. The letter was received by the White House the day after Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 (President’s Official File 4805: Military Areas, 1941-1942). Senator Harley Kilgore informed the President of the protests he was receiving from people distant from the West Coast with concerns of the danger of Japanese and other inhabitants of that vicinity. He believed that the West Coast should be declared a military zone which would give the government the right to place residents into internment camps regardless of the constitution (Kilgore,