Why were thousands of U.S citizens put in internment camps during the war?
349552
The Japanese American Internment refers to the forcible relocation of approximately 112,000 to 120,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans, 62 percent of whom were United States citizens, from the west coast of the United States during World War II to hastily constructed housing facilities called War Relocation Camps in remote portions of the nation's interior.\n\nDuring the war, an appeal reached the Supreme Court contesting the government's authority to intern people based on their ancestry; the court sided with the government. The U.S. government officially apologized for the internment in 1988, saying it was based on "race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership", and paid reparations to survivors. Some compensations for property losses were also paid in 1948, but most internees were unable to fully recover their losses.
831455
Mark was referring to the attack on Pearl Harbour. That is a good point, maybe they are a bit paranoid about having a large military presence as it attracted the Japenese in'41'. Or it could be the attitude of people from the lower 48 if "AFwife"s atitude is an example .
1156042
Pearl Harbor led to the aerial bombardment of civilians....at hiroshima and nagasaki. Toward the end of the war, the Japanese turned down the Potsdam demands for unconditional surrender, even tho they were making overtures for peace through their emmissaries in Sweden.\n\nThe kamikazi and suicidal attackes at Iwo and Okinawa led the US to believe that hundreds of thousands of lives were at stake if they assualted Japan itself, therefore, to end the war quickly it was decided to use the a-bomb to save further American lives.\n\nAnd finally, the US wanted to end the war quickly before the Soviets had a chance to attack Japan and gain hegemy in the Orient, similar to the Soviet bloc in Eastern Europe.\n\nOppeneimer and other American nuclear scientists advocated for using the bomb to end the War more quickly. Other scientists wanted a demonstration in the Pacific Ocean to show the Japanese leaders the devastation of the new weapon. Since there were not alot of A-bombs in existence, the US leaders didn't want to take a chance on the 'demonstration' failing, therefore it was decided to use it against a Japanese city.\n\nPrior to the bombing, leaflets were dropped on the cities informing the populace to flee. Anyway, ever since, the world has been staring into the dark abyss of nuclear holocaust.
870505
Ah, but Americans do not know when they are the oppressors.  They cannot imagine any country wanting freedom from them.\n\n========= edited after reading all responses -----\n\nDon't say I didn't warn you.  \n\nTo a man each response denied your feelings - arrogance, right?\n\nNo one acknowledged that the Japanese feel oppressed (and resentful) by the American troops in your country.  Instead they rationalize why they are there and how grateful you should be.
450257
There were no protests, but there was a strong public opinion before Pearl Harbor that we should not enter the war. Afterwards, the country very strongly felt that they had to enter the war.
417144
Some were taken to England or America. Those who couldn't escape war areas were sometimes hidden in the open, such as in Catholic schools. Sometimes good people hid them in attics or closets.
248231
The majority of Americans were against it, therefore it would've been a very unpopular war, look at what's happening today in Iraq.  Americans were 'isolationist' in their thinking before Pearl Harbor.
564381
For all the self righteous folks above me and especially for "medusaswrath".  Before you condemn the United States to hell for doing what it though best to protect YOU and other citizens, you might want to consider this.\n\nWhen the Japanese were placed into the internment camps they did receive one benefit.  They were safe from a mob mentality that sought out any and all people of Asian descent.  You understand, they all look alike.  The potential for the streets to run red with Asian blood was very real.  After all, Japan and hence Japanese were the enemy.\n\nNow before your little gasket blows, be assured I don’t necessarily feel the actions taken by the Government were right.  At the same time I wasn't there and I think we can all agree that we know more today than they did on Dec. 8, 1941.  Also I have seen two of the camps mentioned.  It was a very bad life for the people held there.  Housing too small to hold one death row inmate would have an entire family living in it.\n\nIf you really want to get indignant about something, try this.  On the morning of Dec. 7, 1941 aircraft from the Imperial Japanese Fleet attacked the American Fleet while they rested at anchor in the waters of Pearle Harbor, Hawaii.  That is a well documented fact.  So why did President Roosevelt ask for a declaration of war the next day against Germany as well as Japan?\n\nThese things are complicated and best handled by people with the most information available to them.  It is wrong to judge a President months, years or decades after the fact.  When the day comes that you have to make a life and death decision, you have to make it in minutes or even seconds, and it turns out to be less than a perfect call when evaluated 50 years later, I really hope I can be around to beat you up for trying to safe my life.\n\nI do believe you hit a nerve.  Thanks I needed to wake up.
823280
During WWII, there was a real need for soldiers to get supplies that were essential for them to fight: food, gasoline, rubber and the like.  The US's ability to get some of these was further hampered by disruptions to shipping due to the war.  Therefore, rationing was set up to ensure that there would be no worries about leaving the soldiers in poor supply, as well as making sure the general public was adequately provisioned. \nPeople got stamp books for certain goods, with varying levels depending on the scarcity of the goods.  People also had a point system which they could use to figure out what they could get. \nNot shockingly, there was a black market that sprung up of people selling extra goods for a profit.  The government tried to convince people to honor the ration system and avoid the black market.\nThere was also a very strong propaganda effort to help ensure that people sacrificed and did not waste and helped the war effort. People were also encouraged to use substitutes, grow their own food, and join carpooling clubs.
427907
The history of Japanese Americans begins in the late nineteenth century when the first Japanese and Okinawan immigrants unload in Honolulu Harbor as indentured laborers of the many sugarcane and pineapple plantations. This event leads to several phases of Japanese American history: anti-alien period of the west coast in the early twentieth century, internment period during World War II, and finally political empowerment period of the late 1960s leading into the present day. Here are some key events for Japanese Americans:\n\n1869, A group of Japanese people arrive at Gold Hills, California and build the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony and Okei becomes the first recorded Japanese woman to die and be buried in the US. \n1890, First wave of Japanese immigrants to provide labor in Hawai'i sugarcane and pineapple plantations, California fruit and produce farms \n1900s, Japanese begin to lease land and sharecrop \n1902, Yone Noguchi publishes the The American Diary of a Japanese Girl, the first Japanese-American novel \n1907, Gentlemen's Agreement between United States and Japan that Japan would stop issuing passports for new laborers \n1908, Japanese picture brides enter the United States \n1913, California Alien Land Law of 1913 ban Japanese from purchasing land; whites threatened by Japanese success in independent farming ventures \n1924, United States Immigration Act of 1924 banned immigration from Japan \n1930s, Issei become economically stable for the first time in California and Hawai'i \n1941, Japanese attack Honolulu; federal government arrest Japanese community leaders \n1942, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066 on February 19 uprooting Japanese Americans, except in Hawai'i, to be sent to concentration camps (euphemized by the government as "internment camps") \n1943, Japanese American soldiers from Hawai'i forming the 100th U.S. Army Battalion arrive in Europe \n1944, U.S. Army 100th Batallion merges with the all-volunteer Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team \n1945, 442nd Regimental Combat team awarded 18,143 Medal of Valor decorations and 9,486 Purple Heart decorations becoming the highest decorated military unit in United States history \n1959, Daniel K. Inouye becomes the first Japanese American in Congress \n1965, Patsy T. Mink becomes the first woman of color in Congress \n1971, Norman Y. Mineta elected mayor of San Jose, California; becomes first Asian American mayor of a major US city \n1974, George R. Ariyoshi becomes the first Japanese American state governor \n1978, Ellison S. Onizuka becomes the first Asian American astronaut \n1980, Congress creates Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians to investigate World War II policies over Japanese Americans \n1983, Commission reports Japanese American internment was not a national security necessity \n1988, U.S. President Ronald Reagan signs Civil Liberties Act of 1988 apologizing for Japanese American internment and provide reparations of $20,000 to each victim \n1994, Mazie K. Hirono becomes the first Japanese immigrant elected state lieutenant governor \n1999, Gen. Eric Shinseki becomes the first Asian American U.S. military chief of staff \n2000, Norman Y. Mineta becomes the first Asian American appointed to the U.S. Cabinet; worked as Commerce Secretary (2000-2001), Transportation Secretary (2001-present) \n[edit]\nImmigration\nPeople from Japan began migrating to the U.S. in significant numbers following the political, cultural, and social changes stemming from the 1868 Meiji Restoration. Particularly after the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, Japanese immigrants were sought by industrialists to replace the Chinese immigrants. In 1907, the "Gentlemen's Agreement" between the governments of Japan and the U.S. ended immigration of Japanese workers (i.e., men), but permitted the immigration of spouses of Japanese immigrants already in the U.S. The Immigration Act of 1
169047
they were drafting people in the Civil War..there were riots in New York and other places because of it.
326745
During periods of total mobilization, even the children get into the war effort.  During WWII, many countries were totally mobilized, which includes the efforts of civilians, paid and unpaid going toward the war effort.  In Japan, this meant much the same as in the US, Germany, Britain, and the USSR.  Children would go on scrap and paper drives to try and recycle materials.  Women would contribute their efforts to the war by making clothing and providing other material support.
385111
Catholics, Gypsies, homosexuals, people with disabilities, all were sent to the concentration camp along with Jews.  It's just that there were more Jews murdered than any other group.  \n\nHere's a great link that includes information about the WWII Concentration camps and all their victims.  Scroll way down to Germany.   http://www.tartanplace.com/tartanhistory/concentrationcamps.html
690302
This is always kind of a tricky question, because the implication is that the US did not do enough by trying to win the war as soon as possible. And remember, the final solution did not begin until 1943, so pre-war relaxation of immigration standards would not count. I don't accept that premise but try this out.\n\nThe American and British bomber air forces could have shifted their attacks from economic targets to the transportation network supplying the camps with victims. This might have slowed the number of murders, but would also have allowed the German military to defend Germany (and thus the camp network) better and longer ending with more American casualties and a considerably later end to the war with therefor very little difference in the total number of murders.\n\nThe United States could have made a point of broadcasting the unconfirmed reports of attrocities in German occupied Poland with a propaganda effort to strengthen recruiting of people in the occupied territories for underground resistance. The result would probably have been lukewarm at best. The only successful underground movements in occupied Europe were the Communists; this was not because they were more patriotic, but before the war they were already made criminals and were the only ones used to acting clandestinely. Besides, in 1943 at the Katyn Forest in eastern Poland, the Germans discovered a pit with the bodies of 10,000 Polish officers murdered by the Red Army when they occupied in 1939; because of this, when the Russians began liberating death camps in Byelorussia in 1944 no one believed the reports.\n\nThe USA could have exchanged German prisoners for concentration inmates. This might have had some limited success. Early in the war (about 1940-41) some labor camp prisoners were allowed to go to Switzerland in exchange for the repatriation from Uruguay of the crew of the pocket battleship Graff Spee. By late 1943, the Western allies had captured some U-boat crews and the Afrika Korps in Tunisia. The end result, because these were highly trained (U-boat) and highly motivated (Afrika Korps) soldiers, they could have been returned to very successful active duty instead of using younger and less trained replacements. If the West Wall had been manned with the Afrikan veterans instead of so many Ukrainian and Silesian slave soldiers, there could have been a great difference in the end of the war.\n\nAnyways, try those on for size.
670705
They should go back to Japan. The US gave Japan their islands back after WW2
696320
Japan was doing the same thing in Asia that the Europeans did in the Middle East, India, and Africa, and which the U.S. did in North America.  They wanted natural resources, saw a weaker nation that had them, so they went in and took them.  Don't forget that they aren't the indigenous population of Japan any more than Caucasians are the indigenous population of America.  The original inhabitants of Japan were a Caucasian race called the Ainu, they are still there on a reservation on Hokkaido.  Historically a Just War is one that gets us what we want, even if it's at someone else's expense.  It's Unjust if it gets them what they want at our expense.  Easy to understand.
1001375
Looks like you answered your own question...\n\nMoney and resources were diverted because of the war.