The Internment of Japanese Americans during World War II Thesis: The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II was an abominable violation of American ideals.

The United States government abused the rights of an entire group Guaranteed constitutional rights were suspended The Japanese Americans were judged by their ancestry rather than by individual acts. German and Italian aliens suspected of disloyalty were treated more fairly than were the Japanese Americans Efforts on the part of Japanese Americans to demonstrate loyalty and patriotism were futile.

In a land where “all men are created equal,” the underlying force behind the internment was extreme racial prejudice. There was a history of anti-Japanese feeling and actions in the United States prior to World War II. The stereotyped Japanese were viewed as a threat to Americans. Anti-Japanese legislation was already in existence. With racism to back it up, the hysteria that followed the attack on Pearl Harbor was aggravated by politicians, anti-Japanese groups, and the press.

The unjust suffering that Japanese Americans faced seems a paradox in a country where “justice for all” is proclaimed. Japanese Americans suffered severe economic losses as result of the relocation. The facilities in the camps were inadequate. While Japanese Americans were living in internment camps, Japanese-American soldiers were serving the United States in the war effort. The psychological and emotional suffering was perhaps the most tragic.