Conclusion
Rights Versus Responsibilities
President Roosevelt felt it was his responsibility to protect the war effort by imprisoning all of the Japanese Americans on West coast. By doing this he took away the Japanese American's rights to a trial and to their freedom. The power that Roosevelt assumed in relocating the Japanese Americans in a time of war has been the law of the land ever since. The case of Korematsu that went before the Supreme Court said that the President not only had that responsibility but also had that right. Today, American citizens who are viewed as terrorists may face a similar loss of rights whether loss of privacy on electronic communication or imprisonment without a civil trial.
"As long as my record stands in federal court, any American citizen can be held in prison or concentration camps without trial or hearing. I would like to see the government admit they were wrong and do something about it, so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed, or color." —Fred Korematsu (1983), on his decision to again challenge his conviction 40 years later
Apology and Compensation
After a long political campaign, in 1988 the United States government agreed to pay each individual imprisoned in the relocation camps $20,000. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill and issued an apology.
The people that sent me letters that had been imprisoned in the internment camps said they were not bitter towards the United States. Many of the people who wrote to me told me that they wanted to make sure that never again did citizens of the United States lose their rights like the Japanese Americans had.
Kiyo Yoshimura told me, "We ask--can it happen again (loss of rights)? Yes, it is possible. The event was the result of long term racial prejudice, war hysteria, and lack of political leadership. The Constitution of the United States defines and guarantees the rights of every citizen. However, these rights require the constant vigilance by all, or the Constitution becomes only a piece of a paper."
In conclusion, I believe that the actions taken against the Japanese Americans were wrong. Their rights were denied when there was very little real threat from those sent to the camps.
Kiyo Yoshimura told me, "We ask--can it happen again (loss of rights)? Yes, it is possible. The event was the result of long term racial prejudice, war hysteria, and lack of political leadership. The Constitution of the United States defines and guarantees the rights of every citizen. However, these rights require the constant vigilance by all, or the Constitution becomes only a piece of a paper."
In conclusion, I believe that the actions taken against the Japanese Americans were wrong. Their rights were denied when there was very little real threat from those sent to the camps.