Internment Camps and Relocation in the U.S during WWII
After Pearl Harbor, many Americans feared future attacks from the Japanese and increased hysteria because of this. The people were scared that the Japanese citizens in America were spies. Banks and other establishments would not cash their checks. Grocers refused to sell them food, and mobs attacked their businesses and homes. Newspapers printed rumors about Japanese spies. Many people did not think the Japanese would stay loyal to the U.S. and wanted them to be removed from the West Coast. State representatives pushed Roosevelt to do something against the Japanese already residing in the United States. On February 19th, 1942, Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. This order allowed the War Department to declare any part of the United States a military zone and remove people from there. The Secretary of War declared the West Coast a military zone and ordered all people of Japanese ancestry to evacuate to internment camps. They justified their actions by claiming those of Japanese ancestry were spying for Japan. Two thirds of the 120,000 or so Japanese moved were American citizens and half were children. Sometimes, the families were separated in different camps. None of them had been disloyal. Only 10 people during the war were convicted of spying for Japan and they were all Caucasian. Usually they were only given 2 days to get ready and could only bring a few items. Some died due to inadequate medical care, high temperatures, and stress. Finally, in December 1944, Public Proclamation 21 allowed those interned to leave. After the war, the Japanese American Citizens League was established to help Japanese Americans gain back lost property during their period of internment. In 1988, Ronald Reagan apologized to them and granted each surviving internee $20,000.
German and Italian Americans were also held in internment camps. Due to their heritage, the government was wary of them and sent them to the camps. Two proclamations by Roosevelt stated that all unnatural residents of German and Italian descent, fourteen or older, were designated as enemy aliens and were subject to government regulations. These included travel restrictions, carrying identification cards, and the seizure of personal property. Not as much as Japanese internees, but there were over 5,000 arrested and sent to internment camps.