I understand the theoretical application of the internment of Japanese citizens from the West Coast for the Duration of the war, as unpleasant as that was. What I cannot understand or remotely defend is the fact that these people were required to hurriedly sell off their property, often at fire-sale prices, before they were deported east. Why in the name of Heaven and Earth did the Roosevelt Administration not declare such property in Escrow, in this case, Federal stewardship, until the end of internment? That way the victims of internment would not have to add poverty after the war to misery and captivity during it.
Was this politically impossible? Or is it actually the case internment was so mismanaged no one even thought about this until after the fact?
I doubt that crossed anyone’s minds at that time remember Pearl Harbour was just bombed by the Japanese and US troops were being routed by Japanese forces throughout the pacific so there was a lot and I do mean a lot of anti Japanese sentiment at the time and many people at the time mistrusted anybody oriental looking.
In both Canada and the US when the Japanese were rounded up they were for the most part forcibly removed by the respective governments and were only allowed in many cases to take bare necessities and their property confiscated and sold off by the Canadian and US governments usually a bargain basement prices.
It was an instant reaction by both governments over perceived threats and the possibility of spies and saboteurs mixed in with the local Japanese populations.
*On a side note I have met several older Americans throughout the years that still harbour ill will towards Japanese Americans for things that happened over 80 years ago to either relatives or holding on to prejudices of the time era.
I get bigots being bigots (the Japanese Americans left Japan for reason) but how did someone in leal not think, well, this is kinda shitty but if we don’t consider our options it will be shitier?