After the attack on Pearl Harbor, many government buildings became military offices. The civil courts were replaced with military law and this impacted both military personnel1 as well as civilian2. The islands became one large military base and businesses owned by Japanese civilians were closed. The FBI, army, and local police arrested anyone they considered to be a threat. Residents were fingerprinted and required to carry identification cards at all times.
Businesses and residents could not hold more than $200 cash with them. People thought the Martial Law3 would only last a short time, but this lasted for almost three years. Curfews and blackouts even lasted to July 1945.
Many people of Japanese descent4 were taken to detention centers, but these could not hold everyone. A plan was devised to move 100,000 Japanese from Hawaii, but this never took place. In February 1942, shortly after American joined the war, an Executive5 Order was issued by President Roosevelt which authorized that Japanese-American citizens were to be rounded up and then placed in “relocation6 centers.” These were located in different states like Idaho, Utah, California, Arizona, Wyoming, Arkansas, and Colorado. Over 120,000 Japanese were impacted by this and about 80,000 of these were U.S. citizens.
There was overcrowding in the camps and poor conditions. The food was rationed and there were no plumbing or cooking facilities there. Detainees were offered to be released if they agreed to join the army. This was not accepted by many and only 1,200 enlisted.
President Roosevelt rescinded7 the Executive Order in 1944, but it took till the end of 1945 to close all these camps. In 1968 the U.S. Government began to pay compensation8 to Japanese families for property they lost during the war. This was only given to 60,000 that had survived long enough to receive the compensation.
日本偷袭珍珠港后,很多美国政府大楼变成了军用办公室。民事法庭被军事法律替代,这对军人和平民都产生了影响。夏威夷群岛变成了一个巨大的军事基地,日本平民拥有的企业被关闭。联邦调查局、军队和当地警察逮捕任何被认为构成威胁的人。居民都被采集了指纹,并要随时携带身份证。
商家和居民携带的现金不能超过200美元。人们认为战时法律只会持续一段时间,但是它几乎持续了三年。宵禁和灯火管制甚至持续到了1945年7月。
很多日本血统的人被带到了拘留中心,但是那里容不下所有人。曾有计划把10万日本人从夏威夷转移,但这并未发生。1942年2月,美国参战不久之后,罗斯福总统发布了一条行政命令:日本裔的美国人将被纠集到“重新安置点”。这些安置点处在美国不同的地区,如:爱达华州、犹他州、加州、亚利桑那州、怀俄明州、阿拉斯加州、阿肯色州和科罗拉多州。超过12万日本人受到影响,其中大约有8万人已经是美国公民。
集中营拥挤不堪、条件艰苦。食物被定量,没有管道和厨房设施。拘役者可以被释放,如果他们同意参军。很多日本人不同意,只有1200人应召参军。
1944年,罗斯福总统废除了该行政命令,但是所有的集中营一直到1945年末才关闭。1968年,美国政府开始赔偿日本家庭战时遭受的损失。只有幸存下来的6万人得到了赔偿。