Module 4: The Camps

The Camps

The Japanese internment camps were established during World War II as a result of Executive Order 9066, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942, which authorized the forced relocation and detention of Japanese Americans living on the West Coast. Over 100,000 Japanese Americans, the majority of whom were U.S. citizens, were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to these camps, located in remote areas across the United States. The camps were often in harsh, desolate environments, such as deserts and swamps, with poor living conditions that included overcrowded barracks, inadequate sanitation, and minimal privacy. Families were given only a few days to pack their belongings, and many lost their homes, businesses, and personal property in the process.

The internment camps were operated by the War Relocation Authority (WRA), and there were ten major camps, including Manzanar in California, Minidoka in Idaho, and Tule Lake in California. At these camps, Japanese Americans faced a variety of hardships, including physical and emotional distress due to the conditions and the stigma associated with being imprisoned by their own government. The camps were surrounded by barbed wire, guarded by military police, and under constant surveillance. While many internees were forced to live in barracks with little space and basic amenities, others were subjected to restrictive rules that affected nearly every aspect of their lives, from their movements to their ability to communicate freely. Some were even required to take loyalty questionnaires that sought to determine their allegiance to the United States, further deepening the emotional strain.

Despite these hardships, many internees found ways to adapt and maintain their sense of community. Japanese Americans within the camps formed schools, organized cultural activities, and even created newspapers to keep spirits up. However, their sense of injustice and anger at the government's actions was widespread. Some internees, such as Fred Korematsu, actively resisted the internment, leading to legal battles that would ultimately result in the landmark case Korematsu v. United States, in which the Supreme Court upheld the internment policy, though this decision would later be criticized and revised in subsequent years. After the war, Japanese Americans were released from the camps, but they were left with little support to rebuild their lives, and many continued to face discrimination and prejudice. The legacy of the internment camps remains a powerful reminder of how racial prejudice and wartime hysteria can lead to the infringement of civil liberties.