The Constitution
The internment of thousands of Issei and Nisei at the Topaz Relocation Center went against several Constitutional amendments. These amendments address the rights of people in the United States. The United States government has a responsibility to obey the Constitution as it has sworn to do.
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
-Fourth Amendment to the Constitution
The Fourth Amendment was violated by the seizure of all shortwave radios, cameras, binoculars, and firearms owned by Japanese-Americans after Pearl Harbor. The government did not have probable cause to search or seize property.
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"No person shall...be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."
-Fifth Amendment to the Constitution
"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No...State (shall) deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
-Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution
Thousands of Issei and Nisei were deprived of liberty, property, and sometimes life, violating the Fifth and the Fourteenth Amendment. They were forced from their homes into the camps and had some of their property seized.
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Rights
All Americans have certain rights which must not be ignored, but that is exactly what the United States government did when they interned Japanese-Americans.
Responsibilities
The Secretary of War and Military Commanders had a responsibility placed on them by Executive Order No. 9066 to provide food, shelter, transportation, and other accommodations for the interned Japanese-Americans. They did not provide adequately for those at Topaz. The government spent around 39 cents a day per person on food. The housing would not be considered livable by any modern standards.
The U.S. government did not acknowledge any wrong-doing until 1976 when President Gerald Ford formally rescinded Executive Order No. 9066. Later in 1988, Congress issued a formal apology for the internment of Japanese-Americans and paid $20,000 compensation to each surviving internment victim.
The U.S. government did not acknowledge any wrong-doing until 1976 when President Gerald Ford formally rescinded Executive Order No. 9066. Later in 1988, Congress issued a formal apology for the internment of Japanese-Americans and paid $20,000 compensation to each surviving internment victim.