VA/US History
Japanese-Americans (SOL 12c)
Essential Question
How were Americans of Japanese descent treated after United States entry into World War II, and why?
When and Where?
(1942-1946)
Shortly after Pearl Harbor
Roosevelt signed an executive order in 1942 ordering the relocation of the Japanese Americans to concentration camps in the United States. They were relocated to the West.
Why?
The reasons for internments of Japanese Americans were:
1. Strong anti-Japanese prejudice on the West Coast
2. False belief that Japanese Americans were aiding the enemy (this was not proven, this was done for safety precautions)
The End Result?
Korematsu v. United States was a Supreme Court case concerning the constitutionality of the Executive Order by Roosevelt. The end ruling was that what they were doing was unconstitutional.
A public apology was eventually issued by the US government. In 1889, Congress authorized reparations of $20,000 to each of the 60,000 survivors of the internment camps.
Works Cited
"51e. Japanese-American Internment." US History. Independence Hall Association, 2014. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/51e.asp>.
"Internment Camp." USA Today. USA Today, 2011. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. <http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/travel/news/2007-12-17-internment-camps-preservation_N.htm?csp=34>.
"Internment Camps in West." US History. Independence Hall Assciation, 2014. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/51e.asp>.
"Japanese Wanted." How Stuff Works. HowStuffWorks, 2014. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. <http://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/japanese-internment-camp3.htm>.
"Korematsu v. United States (1944)." Infoplease. Pearson Education, 2014. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. <http://www.infoplease.com/us/supreme-court/cases/ar18.html>.