Broken Promises: Japanese Relocation in WWII

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On December 8, 1941 the United States declared war against Japan after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7. As a result President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 on February 19 1942, which authorized the establishment of war relocation camps for the protection of the United States against reconnaissance and sabotage by Japanese decedents. It was believed that all Japanese decedents located near the Pacific Coast posed a threat to defense, however Japanese decedents in Hawaii were not required to relocate despite the large population within the state. In other areas however, Japanese decedents were initially asked to willingly leave their residences and move to war relocation camps. As time went on mandatory evacuations initiated by the government transpired throughout California, eventually removing all people of Japanese decent. Throughout the evacuation process, the government made reassurances to those leaving that they would assist them with their land, businesses, material possession, as well as providing them with adequate living conditions in the temporary assembly centers and the permanent relocation centers once they were transferred. Despite the government’s promises and reassurance the Japanese encountered inhumane treatment and substandard living conditions throughout the relocation process.

Franklin D. Roosevelt approved Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942 to authorize the Secretary of War and Military Commanders the ability to establish military zones in designated areas. Within the order there were instructions detailing the support that the Secretary of War and Military Commanders would receive by Executive Departments, independent establishments and other national groups. These gro...

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...res that were appropriated or sold, 43,000 of those were awaiting a new owner or caretaker of the land. As the evacuation process continued, so did the increase in farms and the loss of crops, which not only negatively affected the Japanese but also California. For those Japanese farmers that were able to find someone to maintain the land while they were relocated encounter problems of attainting rights to the land once they returned home and/or discovered that their tools had been misused and that the property was under duress due to losses. The amount of Japanese farmers that suffered losses was greater than those who were able to continue their lives where it was left off once the war was over. This loss left many people with anger and bitterness because they needed to rebuild themselves from the ground up when they returned to what they thought was home.

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