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The U.S. was also at war with Italy and Germany during WWII, so why were only people of Japanese ancestry incarcerated as a group?
The decision to incarcerate all individuals of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast
in 1942 was influenced by decades of anti-Asian attitudes--ingrained in U.S. institutions, laws and the majority population.
During a time when discrimination was accepted by many as part of American culture, special-interest groups formed to stir anti-Japanese feelings and actions. Racial discrimination was legal and established in policies and laws at the city, state and federal level.
Media perpetuated negative myths and stereotypes of Japanese people as less than human. There were Italian and German nationals who were placed in internment camps such as Crystal City, Texas, but unlike Japanese Americans, U.S. citizens of Italian and German ancestry were not incarcerated during World War II.
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