Executive Order 9066:
-In February 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which authorized the military to establish "military areas" and to exclude or remove any or all person from these areas.
Mass Evacuation and Internments:
- Based on this order, the U.S. government forcibly removed approximately 120,000 people of Japanese descent, mostly U.S. citizen, from their homes and communities on the West Coast.
- Most of those interned were sent to one of ten remote, purpose-built internments camps scattered across seven western states.
Loss of Civil Liberties:
-Japanese American lost basic civil liberties during internment, including the right to due process, the freedom of movement, and the right to own property.
-Many were moved from their homes with only a few days notice, and they were detained for up to four years without charges or trials.
Disruption of Families and Communities:
- Families were separated as men, women, and children were often housed in different camps, and many individuals lost contact with loved ones.
- Interrupted families ties, disrupted education, and caused long-term psychological trauma.
Economic and property loss:
-Japanese American families' businesses, homes, and lands were often left unattended or sold at a loss, leading significant financial hardship and economic losses.
- Even as property left behind and the U.S. government compensated them inadequately for their experiences.
Resistance and Activism:
-Not all Japanese Americans submitted passively to internment, many resisted or protested their detention, and advocated for their rights through legal challenges and activism.
-Legal battles like that taken by Fred Korematsu and Minoru Yasui ultimately led to the overturning of internment orders.
Long-term Consequences:
-The long-term emotional, psychological, and social consequences of internment continue to affect Japanese American communities today.
-The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), founded in 1929, still works to fight against discrimination, promote civil rights, and keep internment history from being forgotten.
Redress and Apology:
- In 1988, the U.S. government issued an apology and began paying reparations to former internees through the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which acknowledged that internment was a grave injustice and provided modest financial restitution to survivors.
Internment as a Dark Chapter in American History:
- The U.S. government policy of internment during World War II is widely regarded as a dark chapter in American history and a violation of basic human rights and civil liberties.
-It serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding Constitutional principles, protecting civil rights, and ensuring that such injustices never happen again.