Japanese Americans: Distrusted on the Homefront
The Japanese Americans were treated poorly during World War II. As a result of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, many Americans were skeptical about any Japanese citizens in the United States. Due to Americans fear of Japanese causing danger to the United States, President Roosevelt signed an Executive Order 9066 which forced approximately 120,000 Japanese citizens living in America to gather their belongings and relocate to internment camps. They were only allowed minimal luggage when being relocated to these camps. Once relocated to the internment relocation camps, they would typically stay for long periods of time. The majority of those who were forced to relocate into the camps had never shown any type of skepticism but America did not want to risk having anyone of Japanese descent roaming around the country in case of another attack. The United States even forced children to relocate into such camps even those younger than their teen years ("World War Two - Japanese Internment Camps in the USA").
Life within these camps were not easy. Families that were forced to go to the relocation camps had less than two days to leave their house and it is very hard for many families to leave all of their possessions and home and move to an enclosed area where you are constantly being watched. Families were not given privacy in these camps as they wanted to keep maximum security on them in case of any sort of riot or rebel group. Some families would even remain in these camps until 1945 when the war came to a close. However, when the war had ended and families were able to return home, they often came home to find their homes ransacked, and vandalized ("World War Two - Japanese Internment Camps in the USA").
Video of Internment Camps Below
Despite prior claims about Japanese Americans being potentially dangerous to America, during the tough battles in Europe, the United States decided that we were in need of more soldiers Many Japanese American men volunteered to fight in the war, especially the ones that were living in Hawaii ("World War Two - Japanese Internment Camps in the USA").
Image of Japanese Americans During World War II
During the war the Japanese were portrayed as evil and barbaric. Americans used Japanese atrocities in the Pacific in their argument that the Japanese were murderous savages. Unfortunately Japanese Americans, this distorted image of their heritage also included them. The majority of Japanese Americans were extremely loyal to the United States. Many felt that in fighting their home country they were fighting Hirohito's reign (Robbins).