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What were internment camps? |
The United States entered WWII as a result of Japan bombing Pearl Harbor, a city, and Naval base, apart of Hawaii. After this occurred the prejudice against Japanese Americans increased greatly. Many people in the United States held resentment towards the Japanese and already were not treating them fairly. Soon after, President Roosevelt signed the Executive Order 9066. This order allowed the removal of any people the military deemed necessary, the Japanese. The removal of the Japanese resulted in internment camps. The Japanese were taken from their homes, communities, and forced to all live in the same community together. They were forced to live, work, and go to school in these camps as a result of the anti-Japanese sentiment that swept the nation. Life in internment camps was not fun for the Japanese, they were prisoners whose rights in the United States were being violated.
Two important court cases that came about were Hirabayashi v United States and Korematsu v United States. The Hirabayashi case was due to a Hirabayashi breaking a curfew that was implemented for Japanese Americans. The Supreme Court ruled that, "some infringement on individual liberty was allowable in time of war". In the Korematsu case, Korematsu refused to leave his home and job for the internment camps. The court also found him guilty, but of not abiding by the military orders. Although the Japanese Americans were being held as prisoners, they still fought in WWII for the United States. This group became one of the most successful parts of the military during WWII. |