When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the entire country plunged into chaos.  Everyone began preparing for the war.  While Americans went off to fight, the President decided to lock up all people with Japanese heritage to make sure that they were not spying for Japan.  In total, 120,000 people were sent to these internment camps.  Manzanar was the first of the ten camps in the United States.  The camps were gloomy and crowed, yet 1,200 decided to claim loyal to America and enroll in the army.  In the camps, over 250 people had to share the same public areas.  After a few years, they were finally allowed to return home in January 1945.  In the internment camps life was difficult because they had hasty evacuations, rough conditions, and remote locations.

 

 

 

 

 

                

                

 

 

               The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 (Marquis).  Pressure was applied to President Roosevelt to take action due to the attack.  On February 19, 1942, Roosevelt signed the Executive Order 9066 (World War Two-Japanese Internment Camps in the USA).  All people with Japanese heritage were forced to evacuate.  120,000 people had to abandon their lives and their homes in less than two weeks (Marquis).  Before their departure, the Japanese people were put under a five mile travel restriction and an 8:00pm curfew (Sinnott).  When the government arrived in their area, they were given 48 hours to sell or throw away anything they could not take with them (World War Two-Japanese Internment Camps in the USA).  A young, Japanese boy stated, "My mom only told me we had to get out quickly.  I didn't know we wouldn't be coming back" (Sinnott 13).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Japanese people had to leave their lives and sell off their businesses when they left for the internment camps.

 

 

 

 

                     When the Japanese people left their homes, they went to one of the ten internment camps in the country (Hilberg).  These camps were Topaz in Utah, Poston and Gila River in Arizona, Amache in Colorado, Jerome and Rohwer in Arkansas, Minidoka in Idaho, Manzanar and Tule Lake in California, and Heart Mountain in Wyoming (Sinnott).  In reference to the surrounding mountains, a resident commented, "It seems to be mocking us in our faces" (Sinnott 41).  The camps were surrounded by fences and towers with armed men guarding the outside.  Manzanar was the first camp and, at its peak, held 10,046 people (The Camps).  Locations of the camps determined the happiness within.  Some places went over 100° in the summer and others went 30 below in the winter (The Camps).  1,200 lucky people pledged loyalty to the United States and were shipped away to join the army (Japanese internment).  The rest had to stay and endure their new lifestyles.

 

 

 

Manzanar was the first Japanese internment camp to be opened in America.

 

 

 

 

           

               Everyone’s lives were impacted when they were sent away.  The people were forced to live in barracks while staying in the internment camps.  A woman recalled her memories and stated, "You could hear all the people crying, the people grinding their teeth; you could hear everything" (Sinnott 36).  Houses resembled barns and whole families had to live in a 20 by 25 foot room (Japanese internment).  Utility buildings used for bathing, laundry, and restrooms were shared by over 250 internees (Japanese internment).  Getting meals in the camps was a  business.  Residents had to wait in long lines only to receive dust covered food.  Money was also needed to receive a meal and the cost was 48 cents per meal (Hilberg).  With these rough conditions, death was common.  Some common reasons for death were poor medical care, emotional stress, and bad temperatures (World War Two-Japanese Internment Camps in the USA).  In January 1945, the Japanese were permitted to return home (World War Two-Japanese Internment Camps in the USA).  Although this was a thrill to most people, the hardships they had endured would not be forgotten.    

        

 

      The internment camps gave people no privacy and many people had to share the same spaces.

 

 

 

REFERENCES:

 

“The Camps.” Children of the Camps. PBS, 1999. Web. 7 May 2010. <http://www.pbs.org>.

 

            Hilberg, Raul. “Concentration Camp.” Encyclopedia Americana.2010. Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Web. 3 May 2010. <http://go.grolier.com>.

 

       

Japanese-Americans Interned at Santa Anita. N.d. Discovery Education. Corbis, 2006. Web. 12 May 2010. <http://player.discoveryeducation.com>.

 

       

“Japanese internment.” United States History. Online Highways LLC, 2010. Web. 7 May 2010. <http://www.u-s-history.com>.

 

       

Manzanar Japanese Internment Camp. N.d. knowledgerush. N.p., 2009. Web. 12 May 2010. <http://www.knowledgerush.com>.

 

      

Marquis, Amy Leinbach. “The Other Prisoners of War.” National Parks 2007: 14-15. Middle Search Plus. Web. 2 May 2010. <http://web.ebscohost.com>.

      

 

Sign in a Japanese-American grocery. 2005. Discovery Education. United Streaming , n.d. Web. 12 May 2010. <http://player.discoveryeducation.com>.

 

       

Sinnott, Susan. Our Burden of Shame. N.p.: Cornwall University Press, 1995. Print.

 

       

     “World War Two-Japanese Internment Camps in the USA.” History on the Net.com. HIstory on the Net, 5 Feb. 2010.      Web. 2 May 2010. <http://www.historyonthenet.com>.

 

    

 

 

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