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Americans approval of Japanese internment following the events of Pearl Harbor

The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor had such a dynamic effect that it immediately shifted the public opinion from “isolationist neutrality” to “determined intervention.” Following the events of Pearl Harbor, the citizens the United States held many contrasting opinions in regards to Japanese Americans. Hawaii, for example, called for just treatment of the Japanese. General Delos Emmons, military governor of Hawaii, and the president of the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce were unwilling to permit the Japanese’s mass evacuation. They stated that their internment would not only annihilate their labor force, but would also destroy the economy of the islands. Hawaii asserted this viewpoint because of a long history of interaction with the Japanese in the islands. On the other hand, leaders from the mainland argued that the potential saboteurs must be evacuated. Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt, head of the Western Defense Command, claimed a different opinion than Emmons’ in...

Posted by: Joel Chibota

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