In the aftermath of the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, America was gripped by war fever. Japan had attacked United States on its own soil. The desire for revenge that swept the nation, however, was tinged with fear. Would the Japanese attack again? Would the mainland United States be the next target? Were Japanese spies and saboteurs already at work, plotting to strike from within? Most importantly, could Japanese Americans be trusted? This last question was answered with a resounding and official
no,
and more than 100,000 loyal Americans paid with their freedom for the actions of an enemy with whom they shared nothing but their ethnicity. The Internment of Japanese Americans During World War II: Detention of American Citizens describes the tragic tale of injustice and racial hatred against a minority caught in the crosshairs of a world war.