Camps

Japanese Americans were given about two weeks maximum to grab what they could carry and were sent away. First they were stationed in assembly centers and then redistributed to one of the ten internment camps that was set up. http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/g_l/haiku/images/warning.jpg Photo Courtsey of University of Illinois

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/japanese-internment-camp-3.jpg

Photo Courtsey of Howstuffworks.com

Starting in 1943, those who were 17 and older who were sent to the camps were given two questions to determine their loyalty to the United States. The first question was “are you willing to serve in the armed forces of the United States on combat duty wherever ordered? (Females were asked if they were willing to volunteer for the Army Nurse Corps or Women's Army Corps) and the second question was will you swear unqualified allegiance to the United States of America and faithfully defend the United States from any or all attack by foreign or domestic forces and forswear any form of allegiance or obedience to the Japanese emperor, to any other foreign government, power or organization? (History on the Net)”.

Japanese Americans who refused to take the oath were sent to Tula Lake which ended up being a segregation centre. Tule Lake camp was located in northern California and became more of a camp/centre for those who fought for their freedom. “Many demonstrations and strikes were led here and it was one of the last camps to close (Utah). http://www.lib.utah.edu/static-content/marriottlibrary/files/images/p144n008.jpg

Photo Courtsey of University of Utah

The War Relocation Authority was in charge of the internment camps and placed them on the West coast. They were spread out between California, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Arkansas and were heavily guarded (Utah, Japanese-American Internment Camps During WWII). Many camps were put in isolated desert areas where living conditions were harsh.

Citations: History on the Net. 5 February 2010. 23 October 2010 . Utah, University of. Japanese-American Internment Camps During WWII. 24 October 2010 . —. Tule Lake Internment Camp. 24 October 2010 .