Question

Could someone tell me about the Japanese internment camps during WWII. Why were Japanese allowed to serve in the US army when they were considered the enemy? Thanks for the help!

Answer 1

These sites tell about the internment camps.

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/internment1.html

http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW2/japan_internment_camps.htm

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I didn't find a definitive answer about why young Japanese men were allowed to serve in the U.S. army. But by that late in the war, our military was desperate for more fighting men. Probably they were also convinced that the internees were not enemies and could and would help defend the U.S.

Answer 2

Ms. Sue is correct. And for many of the young Japanese men in those internment camps, this was considered a way for them to prove their loyalty to the US.
http://www.sfmuseum.org/war/issei.html

There are several good accounts of the experiences of the Japanese-Americans in these camps, one of which is <i>Farewell to Manzanar</i> by Jeanne Wakatsuki.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780618216208