The President's Order
On December 7, 1941, after the bombing of U.S. territory at Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt declared that it was a "day which will live in infamy." The United States fell into chaos after the events at Pearl Harbor, and the Japanese Americans were stigmatized as disloyal. The fear and anger that resulted from this unprovoked attack prompted the President to write Executive Order 9066. On February 19, 1941, Executive Order 9066 was issued, and called for the voluntary (self-directed) evacuation of all Japanese people, citizens and aliens alike, living in the U.S. to relocate themselves to designated areas. The signing of the order led to the largest evacuation in American history, as 110,000 Japanese migrated to centers on the West Coast.
February 1942, Lieutenant General John DeWitt (army commander of the West Coast) demanded the voluntary evacuation of all Japanese, citizens or not. Dewitt stated:
"The Japanese race is an enemy race and while many second
and third generation Japanese born on United States soil,
possessed of United States citizenship, have become
"Americanized," the racial strains are undiluted. To conclude
otherwise is to expect that children born of white parents on
Japanese soil sever all racial affinity and become
loyal Japanese subjects ready to fight and, if necessary,
to die for Japan in a war against the nation of their parents"
DeWitt strongly characterized the Japanese as disloyal and believed it was imperative to intern them, in order to prevent any espionage against the United States. Although the order called for the "voluntary" evacuation of Japanese, it was unrealistic to think that 110,000 people would leave their homes, businesses, communities and possessions, to relocate. not only were the Japanese apprehensive to leave, but many of them were concerned about how they would e accepted by the white Americans living in the rural West and Midwest. The signing of Executive Order 9066 compromised American citizenship for the Japanese people. Furthermore, the Japanese felt betrayed and discriminated against by the American government.