Japanese Internment Camps

Japanese Internment Camps

Japanese Internment Camps were places in the United States where Japanese-Americans, German-Americans, and even Italian-Americans were sent. They were sent there becasue the United States felt threatened by these people after Pearl Harbor, and our declaration of war against Germany. Our reasoning for feeling threatened was that citizens of the US of japanese, german, and italian decent might take acts of treason against the US government. Any act of anything against government would be bad enough since we just entered a world war. Government had enough on there hands as it is.
source: http://education.eastwestcenter.org/asiapacificed/ph2006/PH2006projects/7_clip_image001.jpg
To briefly describe the conditions of the internment camps, the conditions were not good to the people who inhabited them. It was a building that had unpartitioned toilets, had cots that served as beds and very low food rations. Outside of the building, there was a border of barbed-wire that surrounded the perimeter of alike buildings. Guards that were said to have large guns with long bayonets at the end were posted at camps. Curfews were enforced and restricted the inhabitants of the camp to stay out past a certain time. These conditions were not good for anyone.
It was so bad, that it took so long for an official apology to be sent to all past camp inhabitants. An official letter from President Bill Clinton was sent to the people who had to suffer through this. It was a basic apology with a conclusion that wished best of luck to the people who had to experience this.
Source: http://education.eastwestcenter.org/asiapacificed/ph2006/PH2006projects/7_clip_image001.jpg
To jump back before all of these orders of going to internment camps, life was good for the japanese citizens. They were friends with the people that they worked and lived by. Some came to earn money and eventually go back to japan. Some wanted to settle in and have there children grow up in America (Source:http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312008/Lifebefore.html) .
Life for the japanese while they were in the camps was not as good as it was outside of the fenced barracks. Inside the camp was just like living at home, except you had a strict curfew and were fenced into your home. The camp had several blocks that contained about 12 barracks each. In each of the barracks were small living places that had laundry facilities and washing machines. There were religous, recreation and administration buildings. There was also school for children, and a librar.(Source: http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312008/bhjic.html). Although the camps provided decent living conditions, life was still tough for the people living inside. Most of the camps were in the middle of the desert. Unbearable heat waves would happen everyday and did not add any comfort (source: http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312008/bhjic.html). As bad as it was, it got worse. Some people began to die because they were not given the proper treatment they needed from the hospitals. Some people were even shot and killed by the military guards. They were shot for simply not following orders.(source:http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312008/bhjic.html).
The pain in the camps lasted over 3 years. Some camps got closed down in 1945(source:http://home.comcast.net/~chtongyu/internment/camps.html). By the end of 1946, all japanase were released from the internment camps. But what the government did to them by putting them in the camps was not forgotten. The japanese americans did not keep there mouth shut about the injustice they recieved. Eventually the US government heard the japanese americans cry, and they sent out the official apology(source:http://americanhistory.si.edu/perfectunion/experience/). In the end, they taught us a lesson. They taught us how to push through even when things were really bad. When they were released, they revised the constitution and pointed out that ALL men are created equal. This made us a stronger country(source: http://americanhistory.si.edu/perfectunion/experience/).
(source:http://www.americaslibrary.gov/assets/aa/lange/aa_lange_relocation_2_e.jpg)

Quiz Questions

1. Were conditions in the camp good for the people?

Answer: No, conditions were very minimal and poor.

2. Where were most Japanese Internment Camps located?

Answer: In the middle of deserts.

3. By what year were all Japanese-Americans released from the camps?

Answer: 1946