Japanese American Internment Camp Effects

Executive Order 9066 legalized the removal of 100,000 Japanese Americans from their homes and into internment camps. The causes of internment were war hysteria, race prejudice and a failure of political leadership. Japanese Americans were subject to harsh conditions, unnecessary deaths and lack of education.

“Approximately 700 U.C. students withdrew from school in 1942.” Grace Obata Amemiya was a U.C. Berkley student hoping to receive her diploma. But when her and her family were forced to move to an internment camp, those hopes were shattered. In 2009, at the age of 88 Amemiya and other Japanese American U.C. students at that time received honorary degrees. But many Japanese American children did not have the chance to go to college. Young children attending school in internment camps were victims of poor school systems with a lack of resources. (newsroom.ucla.edu)

Japanese Americans in the camps dealt with mental and physical abuse. Most of the abuse stemmed from mistreatment of authority. “Guards faced little consequence for killing without just cause.” Private Brenard Goe was tried for shooting and killing
(amhistory.si.edu) The psychological damages were severe, racial segregation and the oppression of the Japanese Americans was intense. The Japanese stayed strong by returning to their roots. Japanese values like “gaman”, “the internalization of and suppression of emotion,” were used to cope with the pain. The internment camps were not only a violation of the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, but also the Ninth Amendment that states, the enumeration in the constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. (listverse.com) The internment of innocent Japanese Americans was wrong and uncalled