During World War II, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, fear and suspicion against Japanese Americans surged. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 in 1942, which led to the forced relocation and internment of approximately 120,000 individuals of Japanese descent. Most were American citizens. This controversial decision was driven by the mistaken belief that Japanese Americans posed a security threat. The internment camps represented a significant, albeit dark, chapter in U.S. history, highlighting the tension between national security and civil liberties. Understanding this context is crucial as we delve deeper into lesser-known facts about these camps.
