Question

Why were people with Japanese ancestry interned during World War II?

Japanese Americans wanted to flee the west coast of the US to be safer inland.
Most Japanese Americans wanted to avoid being drafted by Japan’s military.
People feared those with Japanese ancestry would support Japan in the war.
Many Japanese Americans tried to return to Japan at the start of the war.

Answer 1

The primary reason people with Japanese ancestry were interned during World War II was due to widespread fears and suspicions that they would support Japan in the war. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, there was a significant concern among the American public and government officials that Japanese Americans could act as spies or saboteurs. This led to the implementation of Executive Order 9066 in February 1942, which authorized the forced relocation and internment of approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans, most of whom lived on the West Coast.

The other options provided do not accurately represent the main reasons for the internment. While some Japanese Americans may have sought safety or considered returning to Japan, these were not the factors that led to internment. The decision was primarily driven by wartime paranoia and prejudice.