Japanese Internment Camp Background
Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, about 120,000 Japanese Americans living in the U.S. were put in internment camps. In February of 1942, the Presidential Executive Order 9066 was signed by President Roosevelt. President Roosevelt was pressured into taking action by the state senate against the Japanese living in America. This order allowed all Japanese American citizens to be taken out from the West Coast. In March of 1942, President Roosevelt created the War Relocation Board, which officially allowed all the Japanese citizens to be forcibly removed from the West Coast and served as a security measure and the internment camps were established.
The American citizens believed that what they were doing was right and necessary for their country. They believed that there were Japanese spies secretly living in America and were sending information to Japan. However, Americans weren't the only ones who distrusted the Japanese. The Canadians also put them in internment camps. Around 120,000 Japanese American were put into internment camps. U.S. officials claimed they did this because the Japanese Americans were a danger to them and they were afraid that they were spying against Americans for Japan. This, however, wasn’t accurate because more than two thirds of them were citizens of America and about half of them were children. Furthermore, none of the Japanese ever showed disloyalty towards the U.S. They later found out that during the war with Japan only ten people were spying on America for Japan and they all turned out to be Caucasian.
In the beginning, Japanese Americans moved to temporary places like racetracks, fairgrounds, and open areas bordered by barbed wire. But later, they were permanently moved to isolated areas by the War Relocation Authority. They were located in isolated areas like deserts and swamps. In the internment camps, families were often separated and were put into different camps.
All the internment camps had their own hospital, school, administration building, store, and post office. All the Japanese Americans found some work to do. Some of these jobs included teaching, growing food, or nursing. They also had a food court that could hold 200 to 300 civilians. Food shortages were frequent, so they raised their own livestock and grew their own vegetables and fruits. The nurses and doctors were given the healthier food, as special treatment.
The Japanese Americans had very uncomfortable and unsafe living conditions. The families lived in barracks, which were six one room apartments. Each family shared one apartment and had a wood burning stove, a ceiling light, and a cot per individual. The barracks lacked plumbing so they had to shower, use the restroom, and wash their clothes in another building. The civilians had to live in animal stalls that didn't have privacy. Their mattresses were made of hay and the roof was made of tar. They didn't have any basic furniture such as closets or cupboards. Sometimes the barracks had cracks, causing dust to come in which could lead to suffocation. The temperatures were extreme, either too hot or too cold. The camps were fenced and if anyone tried to escape they were shot. The civilians in the camps were counted twice a day and sometimes they were searched for possession of suspicious items. Despite all the challenges, the Japanese still tried to enjoy their lives. They played sports and other activities to keep themselves occupied.
Even before the Japanese were put into camps, they were mistreated. In 1942, many Japanese hospital workers walked out due to the fact that they were paid less just because they weren't Caucasian. Before the camps were built, Japanese Americans were held in temporary or assembly centers such as racetracks or stables. Most of the Japanese citizens who were forced to go to internment camps sold their homes and businesses because there was no guarantee that they would still have their homes after being released from the camps. However, most of these people suffered losses because of the insane amount of people trying to sell their property at one time. Not only were they forced into camps, but the prisoners also faced problems because their hometowns had signs saying the Japanese weren't allowed to return. One of the worst parts of these camps was the fact that about two-thirds of the camp's prisoners were American born and most of them hadn't ever been to Japan. Some of the prisoners were even veterans who fought in the American army. The prisoners were given the option to join the army or work for a five dollar a day salary. Ironically, sixty-three Japanese Americans were sentenced to three years in prison because they refused to be drafted. The prisoners were also expected to farm for their food, however, the farm grounds were too dry. This made farming another hard and tiresome task for the Japanese.