Behind the Fences: The History of Japanese Americans

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Between the years of 1942- 1945, the lives of many Japanese Americans were changed. The attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese military made the United States concerned about national security. The US was also made wary of Japanese people living in America, even though they were legal citizens. This fear of the Japanese immigrants put into motion the document that would forever leave an impact on the unsuspecting Asian foreigners. The Japanese were often lead away from their homes, mistreated, and in the end they were released after years of imprisonment, but the effects of the tragedy were too great to ignore.

The order that would lead to the change in the lives of Japanese Americans was issued on February 19, 1942. It was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and it was called the Executive order 9066. This document lead to “the assembly and evacuation and relocation of nearly 122,000 men, women, and children of Japanese on the west coast of the United States” (jarda.com). The order simply stated that the Military Commander may force people to move, or exclude them if he feels it is necessary.

The Japanese Americans were, in fact citizens of the United States, but that did not stop the US military forces from taking them away from their homes. The US took them away from everything they had ever known, and forced them to move into relocation camps. The process of relocating was long and hard. It put a large amount of stress and worry on the Japanese, who were only allowed to bring what they could carry, which was obviously not much. The Japanese were forced to get rid of any businesses and homes that they owned before being relocated. These camps that the Japanese were forced to live in were very similar to the concen...

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...overnment and the Japanese American citizens. It was not until 1993, however, that the official apology from the White House was written and signed.

It is said that the main reasons for the imprisonment of these oriental citizens were the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the fear for “national security”, and in the end it resulted in a case of “mass hysteria”(jarda.edu). The history of the United States was forever changed by the imprisonment of the Japanese Americans. It opened up a whole new type of prejudice and racism for America. Although it is hardly thought about now days, the disenfranchisement of these citizens can never be forgotten. The United States needs to always remember that they took away innocent civilians’ property, businesses, homes, finances, possessions, and even some lives. The effects of this situation were and always will be too great to ignore.

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