Japanese American internment camps

Japanese American internment camps were government-mandated detention centers during World War II, primarily from 1942 to 1945, where around 120,000 Japanese Americans—most of U.S. citizens—were forcibly relocated. Following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, fear and suspicion fueled racial prejudice, leading to these camps' establishment, justified at the time as national security. Interned Japanese Americans faced loss of homes, businesses, and freedom. In 1988, the U.S. government formally apologized and provided reparations, acknowledging that the internment was unjust and driven by racial discrimination rather than legitimate security concerns.