The first Japanese internment camp opens at Manzanar, California, marking the beginning of mass incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans following Executive Order 9066 during World War II.

Following the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, fear and paranoia swept across the United States. This dark chapter in American history led to one of the most controversial decisions ever made by the U.S. government - the forced relocation and incarceration of Japanese Americans.

On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the establishment of internment camps. Within weeks, military zones were created and over 120,000 Japanese Americans - most of them U.S. citizens - were forcibly removed from their homes along the West Coast. The first camp opened in March 1942 at Manzanar, California, marking the beginning of a three-year period that would leave an indelible mark on American civil rights history.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor catalyzed a series of events that fundamentally altered the lives of Japanese Americans. This devastating military strike intensified existing anti-Japanese prejudices on the West Coast leading to discriminatory policies.

The December 7, 1941 attack killed 2,403 Americans generating immediate hostility toward Japanese Americans. Newspapers published inflammatory headlines portraying Japanese Americans as potential spies while radio commentators called for their removal from the West Coast. Local businesses displayed "No Japanese Allowed" signs with many Japanese Americans losing their jobs employment contracts within 48 hours of the attack.

Pearl Harbor Attack Statistics	Numbers
American Deaths	2,403
Wounded Personnel	1,178
Ships Damaged/Sunk	18
Aircraft Destroyed	347

President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942 granting military authorities the power to exclude anyone from designated areas. The order authorized the creation of military zones encompassing the entire West Coast from which Japanese Americans were subsequently removed. Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt implemented the order establishing restricted zones in Washington Oregon California Arizona designating them as military areas 1 2.

Key Aspects of Executive Order 9066	Details
Date Signed	February 19, 1942
Primary Authority	U.S. Military
Affected States	CA, OR, WA, AZ
Military Zones Created	2

The U.S. government established Japanese internment camps in phases, starting with temporary assembly centers before transitioning to permanent relocation facilities. The process began in March 1942 immediately following Executive Order 9066.

The War Relocation Authority opened temporary assembly centers at racetracks fairgrounds across the West Coast. These facilities included:

Assembly Center	Location	Opening Date	Peak Population
Santa Anita	Los Angeles, CA	March 27, 1942	18,719
Puyallup	Washington	April 28, 1942	7,390
Tanforan	San Bruno, CA	April 28, 1942	7,816
Portland	Oregon	May 2, 1942	3,676

These assembly centers featured hastily constructed barracks horse stalls converted into living quarters. Detainees remained in these temporary facilities for an average of 3-4 months before transfer to permanent camps.

The War Relocation Authority constructed 10 permanent internment camps between March September 1942:

Relocation Center	Location	Opening Date	Peak Population
Manzanar	California	March 21, 1942	10,046
Poston	Arizona	May 8, 1942	17,814
Tule Lake	California	May 27, 1942	18,789
Gila River	Arizona	July 20, 1942	13,348
Heart Mountain	Wyoming	August 12, 1942	10,767
Granada	Colorado	August 27, 1942	7,318
Minidoka	Idaho	August 10, 1942	9,397
Topaz	Utah	September 11, 1942	8,130

These permanent facilities featured military-style barracks surrounded by barbed wire fences guard towers. Each camp included schools medical facilities communal mess halls to support the imprisoned population.

The War Relocation Authority operated 10 major internment camps across seven states during World War II. These facilities housed over 120,000 Japanese Americans in remote locations under harsh conditions.

The West Coast contained three primary internment camps:

• Tule Lake housed 18,789 detainees in Newell, California, making it the largest facility
• Manzanar held 10,046 inmates in California's Owens Valley region
• Minidoka operated in Hunt, Idaho, detaining 9,397 Japanese Americans

The coastal facilities featured distinctive architectural elements:

• 20-foot guard towers positioned every quarter mile
• Multiple rows of barbed wire fencing
• Military-style barracks measuring 20' x 120'
• Communal latrines separated by gender
• Centralized mess halls serving 300-400 people each

The War Relocation Authority established seven camps across interior states:

• Heart Mountain in Wyoming contained 10,767 detainees

• Poston held 17,814 people in Arizona's Colorado River Indian Reservation

• Gila River operated two camps in Arizona with 13,348 total inmates

• Granada (Amache) detained 7,318 people in southeastern Colorado

• Topaz housed 8,130 detainees in Utah's Sevier Desert

• Rohwer and Jerome facilities in Arkansas held a combined 16,000 Japanese Americans

• Locations in isolated desert or swamp areas

• One-mile square compounds surrounded by security perimeters

• Basic medical facilities staffed by detained doctors

• Elementary schools with Japanese American teachers

• Agricultural projects to produce food for the camps

Japanese Americans endured harsh living conditions in cramped quarters during their internment. Each camp operated under strict military oversight with regulated schedules regimented activities.

Living spaces consisted of 20' x 25' barracks divided into four to six units per family. Each unit contained:

• Army cots with straw-filled mattresses
• One bare light bulb
• A pot-bellied stove for heat
• No running water or private bathrooms

Communal facilities included:

• Mess halls serving three meals daily
• Shared latrines with no partitions
• Public showers without privacy screens
• Laundry rooms with concrete wash basins

Environmental challenges plagued internees:

• Extreme temperatures (120°F in summer -30°F in winter)
• Dust storms penetrating poorly constructed barracks
• Mud during rainy seasons
• Overcrowding with 8-10 people per unit

Camp life followed a strict schedule:

• Wake-up calls at 6:00 AM
• Designated meal times in mess halls
• Roll calls twice daily
• Lights out at 9:00 PM

Movement restrictions included:

• Mandatory check-ins with block managers
• No leaving camp boundaries
• Armed guards in watch towers
• Regular headcounts inspections

Permitted activities:

• Work assignments paying $12-19 monthly

• School attendance for children

• Religious services

• Sports leagues baseball teams

• Agricultural projects growing food

• Cameras

• Shortwave radios

• Japanese language books

• Traditional musical instruments

• Any items deemed suspicious by authorities

Japanese internment camps began closing in 1945 following the Supreme Court case Ex parte Endo and President Roosevelt's rescission of Executive Order 9066 in December 1944. The process of releasing and relocating internees lasted several months as the government coordinated their return to society.

The War Relocation Authority initiated a phased closure of internment facilities in January 1945. The first camp to close was Jerome in Arkansas on June 30, 1944, followed by Gila River in Arizona on November 10, 1945. By December 1945, all ten camps had ceased operations.

Camp Name	Closure Date
Jerome	June 30, 1944
Gila River	November 10, 1945
Granada	October 15, 1945
Heart Mountain	November 10, 1945
Minidoka	October 28, 1945
Topaz	October 31, 1945
Tule Lake	March 20, 1946

The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 formally acknowledged the government's wrongdoing during the internment period. Each surviving internee received a formal apology letter from the president plus $20,000 in reparations. The U.S. government distributed more than $1.6 billion in reparations to 82,219 eligible claimants.

Key outcomes included:

• Creation of the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund

• Preservation of former camp sites as National Historic Sites

• Implementation of educational programs about Japanese internment

• Establishment of Japanese American museum exhibits

• Recognition of 442nd Infantry Regiment contributions

• Presidential Medals of Freedom awarded to Japanese American veterans

• California's Day of Remembrance on February 19

• National Japanese American Memorial dedication in Washington D.C.

• Inclusion of internment history in school curricula

• Designation of former camps as National Historic Landmarks

• Japanese internment camps opened in March 1942, with Manzanar in California being the first facility to begin operations on March 21, 1942.
• Following the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, authorizing the forced relocation of Japanese Americans.
• Over 120,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned across 10 major internment camps in seven states, with the largest facility being Tule Lake in California, housing 18,789 detainees.
• The camps operated under harsh conditions, with families living in cramped barracks, sharing communal facilities, and facing extreme temperatures and strict military oversight.
• The internment camps began closing in 1945, with the last facility (Tule Lake) closing on March 20, 1946. In 1988, the U.S. government formally apologized and provided $20,000 in reparations to each surviving internee.

The opening of Japanese internment camps in 1942 marks one of the darkest chapters in American civil rights history. The camps' establishment following Executive Order 9066 led to the unjust incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans based solely on their ethnicity.

This historical event serves as a powerful reminder of how fear and prejudice can lead to the violation of fundamental civil rights. Today these sites stand as monuments to both the resilience of Japanese Americans and the importance of protecting civil liberties for all U.S. citizens regardless of their heritage.

The formal apology and reparations provided through the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 acknowledge the government's responsibility but can't erase the profound impact this period had on Japanese American families and communities.