Fact Check: "Over 120,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned in WWII camps."
What We Know
During World War II, the U.S. government forcibly relocated and incarcerated Japanese Americans in camps due to fears of espionage following the attack on Pearl Harbor. This action was formalized by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's issuance of Executive Order 9066 in 1942. According to a comprehensive accounting by scholar Duncan Williams, the total number of Japanese Americans imprisoned in these camps was 125,284, making the claim that "over 120,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned in WWII camps" accurate (source-1).
Historical records indicate that approximately 117,000 to 120,000 Japanese Americans were initially reported as being incarcerated, with the number often cited as around 120,000 (source-2). The War Relocation Authority (WRA) managed ten camps that housed over 100,000 Japanese Americans during the war (source-3).
Analysis
The claim is supported by multiple credible sources. The recent work by Duncan Williams provides the first complete list of those imprisoned, confirming the figure of 125,284 (source-1). This number is corroborated by historical estimates, which have long indicated that the number of Japanese Americans affected by internment was over 100,000, with various estimates suggesting figures around 110,000 to 120,000 (source-2, source-8).
The reliability of these sources is high, as they come from academic research, government archives, and reputable historical organizations. The WRA's records and the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which acknowledged the injustices faced by Japanese Americans, further lend credibility to the figures provided (source-3, source-2).
While some sources may vary slightly in their estimates, the consensus among historians and researchers supports the claim that over 120,000 Japanese Americans were indeed imprisoned during the war.
Conclusion
Verdict: True
The claim that "over 120,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned in WWII camps" is accurate, as it aligns with the comprehensive accounting of 125,284 individuals documented by Duncan Williams and corroborated by historical records and estimates from various reputable sources.
Sources
- Japanese Americans were forcibly imprisoned in camps ...
- Japanese-American Internment | Harry S. Truman
- World War II Japanese American Incarceration
- Terminology and the Mass Incarceration of Japanese ...
- Internment of Japanese Americans - Wikipedia
- Ask a Historian: How Many Japanese Americans Were ...
