Military Cover Up

by : Lainey B. and Micaela F.

In the wake of World War II, the Japanese attack on Pearl harbor drove the Americans to completely involve its nation in the new war. Because of the fear involved with more attacks from the Japanese, rumors spread that Japanese Americans were also involve in sabotaging mining coastal harbors and poisoning vegetables in the local markets. In response, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered a forced relocation and internment of the 120,000 Japanese Americans residing along the Pacific Coast of United States.



In 1942, these concentration camps were known as War Relocation Camps passed by the Executive Order 9066 that authorizes the military to form exclusion zones for any people not of Japanese descent to be excluded from. This keeps the Japanese in and everyone else out.

Because there were no specific charges filed against the Japanese Americans, they were forced to sell their homes, businesses and all their belonging for less than their true value. They were only allowed to carry the items that they can carry by hand. Because they have to leave their furniture at home, most were also not able to bring their mattresses and had to sleep on floors. During the winter, most people got sicks of the flu, and pneumonia and because of the lack of medical attention, many people died in the camp.

Japanese Americans lived in a prison like setting under constant guard. There were armed guards around the camp and barbed-wire-surrounded enclave with unpartitioned toilets, cots for beds, and a budget of 45 cents daily per capita for food rations. Because the Japanese were not told of their destination, most were unable to pack appropriate clothing which resulted in many unsanitary illness spread easily.

There were simple school like facilities in the camp that allowed them to learn some English and American studies, however, they were not told the reason for being confined in the camps.

Although the military action violated most of the rights of these people, such as the Five Amendment--due process, the court ruled that these government actions did not violate the people's rights because the restrictions were based on military necessity rather than on race--Japanese were said to post threats to the nation. Later on, in 1944, the Korematsu v. United States found that there were documents that showed that the army had lied to the court in the 1940's and the Japanese Americans had not posed any security threat. The conviction was overturned in 1984.

In 1988, the Congress passed a law ordering reparations to surviving Japanese Americans who've been detained in the concentration camps.