Japs transported to camps
By Johnny Parker
March 25, 1942
This morning the United States military picked up over 110,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry, and sent them to the Manzanar Camp. The round up included both citizens and non-citizens of the United States. Manzanar is located in Owens Valley, California. This is the very first Japanese internment camp to open.
”We saw all these people behind the fence, looking out, hanging onto the wire, and looking out because they were anxious to know who was coming in. But I will never forget the shocking feeling that human beings were behind this fence like animals [crying]. And we were going to also lose our freedom and walk inside of that gate and find ourselves…cooped up there…when the gates were shut, we knew that we had lost something that was very precious; that we were no longer free," says Mary Tsukamoto.
Although the Japanese rounded up are afraid it’s nothing compared to the fear everyone else who has to live next to Japanese people, or even be around them. People are afraid that all the Japanese were part of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Because of this fear President Roosevelt signs executive order 9066. That gave the war department authority to define military areas in the western states.
The military gathered all Japs and put them on buses and trains and then shipped them to the nearest camp. Camps are being formed in the western interior of the United States. It is hoped to keep us safe from all Japanese threats.