Answer:
Too often we look back with shock and disbelief at nations like Germany during WWII, and wonder how a seemingly “civilized” country could have helped cause the Holocaust. We as Americans, living under the upright laws of the Constitution, can never imagine such heinous crimes against mankind taking place in our virtuous nation of democracy and equality. Unfortunately, we often fail to recall our nation’s own history, with its brutal treatment of Native Americans and it’s enslavement of countless numbers of Africans. We forget the plight of thousands of people whose futures we have destroyed through our own reckless deeds. Although our nation has never witnessed an event like the Holocaust within its borders, there was a time when such brutality could have been an American reality.
Following the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States entered one of its darkest moments in history. After officially declaring war on the Japanese Empire, the American government decided to strike its first blow by lashing out at fellow citizens and resident aliens of Japanese ancestry living in the United States. A movement of tremendous proportion soon commenced, and resulted in the incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans. They were moved into 10 wartime communities constructed in remote areas between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Mississippi River. Ironically, over 70 percent of the imprisoned Japanese were American citizens. Executive Order 9066 was signed in 1942, making this movement official government policy. The order suspended the writ of habeas corpus and denied Japanese Americans their rights under the Fifth Amendment, which states that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process. Roosevelt justified the order on the grounds of military necessity, declaring that Japanese Americans were a threat to national security.
