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Japanese American internment
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Japanese American internment Article

Why were Japanese Americans interned during World War II?

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After Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. War Department suspected that Japanese Americans might act as espionage agents for Japan, despite a lack of evidence. John J. McCloy, the assistant secretary of war, who oversaw the internment program, prioritized national security over civil liberties expressed in the Constitution. He justified his actions by saying he considered the Constitution “just a scrap of paper.”

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