Japanese-American Internment was the relocation of many Japanese-American and Japanese descendants to camps known as "war relocation camps" during World War II (particularly after the attack on Pearl Harbor). In 1942, the United States government relocated and interned approximately 120,000 Japanese-American citizens and people of Japanese ancestry in relocation camps. This internment lasted about four years and was supported by both the government and the president. The last relocation camp closed in January 1946, five months after the official end of World War II. The internment and cruel treatment of the Japanese in the United States stemmed from fear of an all-out invasion by Japan and also from years of racial prejudice against the Japanese. Like the Chinese, early Japanese immigrants were originally seen as a source of cheap labor, but soon after became the target of anti-Asian campaigns, specifically called the “Yellow Peril.” This prejudice began when the Japanese slowly transitioned from farm laborers to farm owners and small business owners. “As successful farmers, orchardists, fishermen, and small business owners, their ability to do well with little and overcome great odds has made them the envy of some members of the white community.” White Americans (particularly white farmers) soon began to build a prejudice against the Japanese and supported internment. The Japanese were not the only minorities to be segregated. In the 1930s, America as a whole was a place with little tolerance for people of different colors (Native Americans had to live on reservations, African Americans, Asians, and other minorities were excluded from many jobs because of race ). years of racism... half paper... compensation for material losses as a result of evacuation and internment. It wasn't until 1988 that the government officially apologized for the Japanese-American internment and $20,000 was paid to people who had been interned or relocated. The Japanese-American internment experience lasted from 1942 to 1946. Approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans were affected. Many lost property, health, sense of identity and even patriotism during the experience. The internment called into question the constitutionality of “military necessity” and also paved the way for the subsequent Civil Rights Movement. Works Cited1. Bruce Elleman, Civilian Prisoner Exchanges and Japanese-American Detention Camps, 1941-1945 (New York City: Routledge, 2006), 55.2. http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/3. http://caamedia.org/4. http://americanhistory.si.edu/