Executive Order 9102

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Executive Order 9102, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, is an executive order which established the War Relocation Authority (WRA). The executive order was signed March 18, 1942, and would end on June 25, 1946. The War Relocation Authority is the federal agency responsible for the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. President Harry S. Truman would sign executive order 9742, which disbanded the War Relocation Authority. This would mark the end of Japanese American internment and executive order 9102.

Preceding events

After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941, it brought mass fear across the United States. Now officially entered World War II, a widespread belief that all people of Japanese descent were loyal to the emperor and were seen as traitors or spies (Kilgore, Bohan 225). Attempting to ease Americans, Executive Order 9066 was signed which restrained Japanese Americans to their residence from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. (Fisher 692). Failing to see the results from the executive order, and growing concern from General DeWitt’s report, Executive Order 9102 was signed to act on the promises of order 9066.

Actions

Executive Order 9102 is often confused with executive order 9066, which authorized the War Relocation Authority to remove and relocate all threats by military command (Starn 700). Following the orders of 9102 and 9066, it gave the War Relocation Authority the authority to act on the fears and prejudice of Japanese descendants. The War Relocation Authority was led by Milton S. Eisenhower then transferred to Dillon Myer. 112,000 people of Japanese descent were incarcerated and were placed in ten interment camps across the nation which were ran by the WRA (Robinson 1). They were forced to leave everything behind, where Japanese Americans lost $400 million in property. In the camps they were stripped down to their necessities and were subjected to immoral loyalty tests to prove their allegiance to the United States. The loyalty test was crafted to have those who pledge their loyalty to the United States also pledge to join the war in Europe. If loyalty was not pledged, they would face repercussions (Muller 825). Following the end of World War II, President Harry S. Truman would sign Executive Order 9742. On June 25, 1946, Executive Order 9742 would officially end the War Relocation Authority and ordered the release of internment camps.

Legacy

The actions of the United States Government led to large shift in loyalty to the Government from Japanese Americans. As their liberties were taken from them, they returned to the Korematsu decision. This would reinforce the United States actions from the Executive Orders. Japanese Americans would receive reparations in 1948, and then again forty years later. The Office of Redress Administration was formed to reparations to every person who survived the internment.  

References

Starn, Orin. “Engineering Internment: Anthropologists and the War Relocation Authority.” Shibboleth Authentication Request, www-jstor-org.eznvcc.vccs.edu/stable/644462?sid=primo. Accessed 27 Nov. 2023.

Muller, Eric L. “The War Relocation Authority and the Wounding of Japanese American Loyalty.” Shibboleth Authentication Request, muse-jhu-edu.eznvcc.vccs.edu/article/741026. Accessed 27 Nov. 2023

Kilgore, Emily M., and Chara Haeussler Bohan. “AMERICANIZATION, ASSIMILATION, AND ADULT EDUCATION IN THE GILA RIVER INCARCERATION CAMP, 1942–1945.” Shibboleth Authentication Request, web-s-ebscohost-com.eznvcc.vccs.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=7ff876ef-6bcc-4d80-887b-c2e79639d12c%40redis. Accessed 27 Nov. 2023.

Fisher, Louis. “How the Supreme Court Promotes Independent Presidential Power.” Shibboleth Authentication Request, web-p-ebscohost-com.eznvcc.vccs.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=0a57a3d5-8ee7-47e5-89b4-111b644026ee%40redis. Accessed 27 Nov. 2023.

Robinson, Greg. “A Tragedy of Democracy: Japanese Confinement in North America.” Journal of Transnational American Studies, 30 Mar. 2010, escholarship.org/uc/item/0qn09858.

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