The Japanese internment camps in the United States were established during World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese forces on December 7, 1941. Here is a chronological overview of the events that led up to the formation of these camps:
1. Attack on Pearl Harbor: The surprise attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii by the Japanese military led to the United States' entry into World War II. This sudden act of aggression had a significant impact on public sentiment towards Japanese Americans living in the US.
2. Anti-Japanese sentiment: The attack intensified existing anti-Japanese sentiments in the country. There was widespread fear and paranoia surrounding potential acts of espionage or sabotage by Japanese Americans, as they were seen as potential threats to national security.
3. Executive Order 9066: On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which authorized the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans living on the West Coast. This order affected approximately 120,000 individuals, the majority of whom were American citizens.
4. Forced relocation: Under the authority of the executive order, Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to temporary assembly centers. They were then relocated to concentration camps located mainly in remote and desolate areas throughout the western United States.
5. Internment camp conditions: The Japanese Americans were confined to these internment camps under military supervision until the end of the war in 1945. The living conditions within the camps were often harsh, with overcrowding, substandard facilities, and a loss of personal liberty.
6. Korematsu v. United States: In 1944, the Supreme Court case Korematsu v. United States ruled that the internment of Japanese Americans was constitutionally permissible due to military necessity. This decision, however, remains widely criticized today.
7. Reparations and redress: It was not until 1988, almost 50 years later, that the US government formally apologized and provided reparations to those who were interned during World War II. The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 granted monetary compensation and an apology to surviving Japanese American internees.
It is important to note that the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II was a result of wartime hysteria, racial prejudice, and fear, rather than any proven security threat posed by these individuals.