Life In Internment Camps
After Executive Order 9066 was passed, Japanese-Americans were forced to quickly evacuate and be sent to the camps. About 120,000 Japanese-Americans were sent to the camps and about 60% of them were American citizens. Most Japanese in the U.S at the time were either "Issei" (First generation) and "Nisei" (Second generation). The Issei arrived to the U.S around the late 1800s and early 1900s. Although most of them weren't citizens of the U.S, they gave birth to children in the country, making most of the Nisei automatically American citizens. Life in the camp was harsh and rough. Most of the people didn't have good healthcare and those who were sent to camps in the desert had to endure the hot and arid climate. As time passed, some of the people in the camps, mostly young adults, were released to do farm work, attend college, or serve in the military. Internees were house in barracks and shared areas to eat, do laundry, and other daily activities. The camps were heavily guarded to prevent anybody from escaping.