Document Type
Class Paper
Publication Date
Fall 2014
Abstract
The internment of Japanese Americans at the hands of the United States government during World War II is one of the darkest parts of our history. It is also a topic that, until recently, has been scarcely acknowledged by those involved. Although racism towards Japanese Americans was not uncommon, forced relocation and imprisonment solely based on their ancestry was unheard of before the war. When the Empire of Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Japanese Americans were perceived a national security threat and the government responded accordingly. Military areas were prescribed and those of Japanese ancestry living within them were forced from their homes into relocation centers, and then eventually sent to internment camps, where they were kept for most of the war years. Of these camps, two were located in Southeast Arkansas, just 27 miles apart: Rohwer and Jerome. Jerome, the last internment camp to open and the first to close, held 8,497 internees at its’ height.1
Recommended Citation
Spann, Paul, "Japanese American Internment and the Jerome Relocation Center" (2014). History Class Publications. 1.
https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/history/1
Comments
World at War