Terminal Island's Japanese American residents faced immediate eviction as the U.S. Navy mandated a rapid evacuation following Executive Order 9066. This order, rooted in racial prejudice, led to the removal of approximately 125,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast. Many men had already been arrested by the FBI, leaving women to decide what belongings to keep amid emotional turmoil. Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt deemed Japanese Americans racially untrustworthy, fueling an environment of fear and discrimination against these loyal American citizens during WWII.
Joseph Kurihara observed the unsettling scene on Terminal Island as furniture amassed in the street due to a rapid evacuation order, leaving behind a devastated community.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 authorized the exclusion of any persons deemed a threat, clearly targeting Japanese Americans without explicitly stating so in the order.
FBI agents arrested most of the men on Terminal Island, forcing the women and children to evacuate quickly, leading to scenes filled with anxiety and loss.
Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt expanded exclusion efforts to all individuals of Japanese ancestry, labeling them racially untrustworthy in a sweeping demonstration of war-time prejudice.
#japanese-american-internment #executive-order-9066 #world-war-ii #racial-discrimination #terminal-island
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