Yes you said that many times, I'm just not sure the principle applies to any country or nationality in the world. The US should have interned all Italian-Americans as they could all be mafiamen or gangsters.

Right, the judgement must be made on a case by case basis. The dynamics between Japanese-Americans in the 1940's is very different from the Overseas-Chinese of today. I would also make this statement in regards to muslims that adhere to certain strains of the religion. I know it sounds horrible and inhumane and unenlightened but for the good of the whole sacrifices are made. No one said life would be all fun and games, and if they did, sorry, they lied.

I would say , at that time, it was more right than wrong.

Also, I wouldn't agree with the statement:"all Japanese-Americans have been interned"
If one takes some pain to research, one will find some interesting things on this matter.
For example:
1. Only the Japanese in the Coast areas have been subject to internment. If they lived in, let's say, Iowa, they shouldn't be interned.
2. They could be released if some white family will vouch for them
3. The Territory of Hawaii had the LOWEST rate of internment, while it has the HIGHEST rate of the Japanese population! The conditions of the internment there have been the softest as well. Why? The Navy(and it's Intelligence branch) have taken the pains to investigate the loyalty of the Japanese and made a conclusion that en masse they are not spies or saboteurs. The also have made an assesment of what will happen to the islands' economy if the most productive and hard working people will be locked away...

In the same time, it has been found that some older Japanese, who couldn't master English and were listening only to the "Tokyo Rose" have been seen climbing to the mountain tops to be the first who will greet the victorious Imperial Navy coming to conquer Hawaii. The have been doing this even in summer of 1945...

The most terrible in all this issue is not, IMO, what has happened to the Japanese-Americans, but what has happened to their brtehren in South America per FBI request.
One can argue whether the internment of the California's Japanese has been strategically sound or not.
But what strategy could justify the imprisonment of the Argentinian or Brazilian citizens in their countries - so far from the front and per foreign country's request!?

Their possessions have been looted by their jailers and other good citizens outright, their businesses confiscated, their prison conditions much worse.
Then, they have been extradicted to the US...
I think, they have didn't get much of restitution either...

No of course the American Japanese should not have been interned, but just how did you sort the good from the bad. Now many Japanese well still fiercely loyal to Japan and would have assisted Japan if given the chance. In Europe there had been such thing a fifth column were people that were sympathetic to Hitler and his aims would do what ever it took to assist the Germans including acts of sabotage and intelligence gathering. Now in Britain many German and other Hostiles were rounded up and placed into camps or ire most of suggesting that they should have been allowed to roam freely around the country. Lets also face it both Germany and Japan rounded other groups of people and put then into camps as well. I think the reason that America took more stick over all this is the way other Americans moved in to profit from their absence, by buying property and businesses at knock down prices.

Originally Posted by LeEnfield

I think the reason that America took more stick over all this is the way other Americans moved in to profit from their absence, by buying property and businesses at knock down prices.

Were they deprived of their properties?

Yes they were in many cases. It was seized and auctioned off if I remember correctly.

Originally Posted by bulldogg

Yes they were in many cases. It was seized and auctioned off if I remember correctly.

Again, in Hawaii, those to be interned were given more time to allow them to transfer their property to the family members.

There was alot of local differences throughout the states

boris116....Are you saying that they allowed other family memebers to stay behind and keep the property

This is interesting, I'm learning a lot of new things.

Originally Posted by boris116

Again, in Hawaii, those to be interned were given more time to allow them to transfer their property to the family members.

Wow, how nice. Can you picture the mp's coming and saying that they are going to put you away in "intern camps" no matter what. But fortunatly for you your business will change hands to your family..... what a relief!