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After Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States forcibly displaced 120,000 people of Japanese origin to 10 internment camps in the west of the country. Eight decades later, our correspondents met with the survivors, who reflected on their ordeal in these places.
The surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which took place on December 7, 1941, is undoubtedly one of the most famous battles in recent history. Almost 2,500 Americans died. The next day, the United States declared war on Japan, an ally of Nazi Germany, and entered World War II.
But what happened that day also resonated with tens of thousands of people of Japanese descent in the United States. Suddenly, they were seen as enemies. Two months later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the incarceration of all persons of Japanese origin suspected of being “traitors.” In the end, about 120,000 were deported to “relocation centers.” Entire families were locked behind barbed wire for up to three years.
National security was given as the motive for the policy, although it violated the constitutional rights of detainees. Although they were prisoners, those inside did their best to lead a normal life, opening markets and educating their children.
Our correspondents Valérie Defert, Pierrick Leurent, and Ryan Thompson went to meet the survivors of this painful chapter in American history.
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