Internment of JapaneseAmericans

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Internment of Japanese-Americans

• 1942-1944

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Executive Order 9066 Feb 19, 1942 No
Japanese-Americans can live on the west
coast 120,000 people affected/moved
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• WHY?
• Sabotage
• Prejudice
• Fear of The Enemy Within

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• THE CAMPS
• Controlled by the War Relocation Authority
• Some 100 degrees in day, sub-zero at night
• Barbed wire, guard towers
• No Japanese-Americans living on Hawaii are
  interned
• (1/3 of islands population)

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• Japanese-Americans in the Military
• While family was detained, many Nisei
  (Japanese-Americans) joined the army
• Formed the 442nd Regiment
• Fought in Italy and France
• 314 casualty rate
• 18,000 individual decorations
• 9,486 Purple Hearts
• 21 Medal of Honor winners (only one awarded
  before the year 2000)
• Most decorated unit in WWII

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• Opposition / Outcome
• 3 cases challenge Internment
• Hirabayashi v. U.S., Yasui v. U.S., Korematsu
  v. U.S.
• Court rules that denying civil liberties based
  on race/national origin is legal
• During the war NO Japanese-American was found
  guilty of treason
• Many older Japanese-Americans never regain
  former lives
• Dec 17, 1944 Internment ends