(WWII) japanese internment... Why?

Question: (WWII) japanese internment!.!.!. Why!?
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fearWww@QuestionHome@Com

Fear is right!. After Pearl Harbor (and the subsequent Japanese offensives in the Philippines and the Southeast Asia), Americans, especially on the west coast, were terrified of a possible Japanese attack!. You have the mayor of LA riding around in a squad car with a bullhorn screaming "BE CALM! DON'T PANIC"!. With the possibility of invasion, the citizens saw ANY Asian as a 'Japanese spy'!.

The pressure on FDR was so great to eliminate this 'threat' that he passed the law calling for internment of all people of Japanese ancestry in the US!.

In addition, there was a lot of racism involved in our war with the Japan - from both sides!. This played a large part in the internment!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It was war-time hysteria!. There was a supposition that Japanese on the west coast would break blackout restrictions, or would send information that could help the Japanese attack the mainland!. In fact, most of the people interned were second and third generation citizens!. But in war time, hysteria often overtakes common sense!. It's a lot like the knee-jerk reactions that have taken place since 9/11, with some of the restrictions on travel that do nothing but annoy people, while things that could be lethal and dangerous are ignored!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I do not think hysteria is the correct word!. I think that people use that because it is safely 50 odd years since it had happened!. Think about it!. The country had never had a foreign power attack it ever (this doesn't include the Revolution) Imagine what a shock it must have been to the population who were sitting there safe in their little country
thinking well there is a war in Europe but it will never touch us!. Then all of sudden a foreign power attacks your most
western naval port destroying your Pacific Fleet!. You are darn right they were frightened!. Especially since the Japanese then proceeded to take over the Asia coast and island hop as far as they could!. Their next stop would have been the Mainland!. Add to this the fact that yes despite what you have heard the Japanese did show up off the coast and shelled a couple of spots!. In B!.C!. they shelled a lighthouse off of Vancouver Island and they actually landed on the northern coast of BC and made camp there!. I agree that racial profiling was part of the problem but U!.S!. citizens were scared spitless and overreacted forcing FDR to act!. It is easy to make judgements on what people did 50 years ago when you didn't experience it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Fear!. Hysteria!. Fright!. Scared to death (literally)!.
NOTHING like this had ever happened before!. The Japanese were easily recognizable and, yes, there were Japanese spies in place in the U!.S!. prior to Pearl Harbor!. (I know I'll get beaten up for that one!.) There were just as many, if not more, German spies, you just couldn't tell them apart!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

all of the above and more besides!.!.!.books have been written about the actions immediately following the attack on pearl harbor!. I have read several of them and I lived through this time as a young boy!. Not posible to cover this in a few sentences!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

the japanese were put into internment camps because roosevelt considered them a threat to the united statesWww@QuestionHome@Com