Internment of Japanese-Americans 75 Years Later

Seventy-five years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt committed one of the U.S. government's greatest violations of personal freedom: an executive order forcing the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. More than 110,000 Japanese-Americans — two-thirds of them American citizens —were placed in concentration camps after the attack on Pearl Harbor ignited widespread anti-Japanese feelings and fears.

Class discussion: Do you believe your civil rights are protected by the U.S. constitution and amendments? What happened to the rights of Japanese-Americans in World War II? Do you think any president should have the power to order U.S. citizens to be locked up without charges or a trial? Why or why not? Do you think anything could make Americans frightened enough to once again allow their fellow citizens to be locked up based on race, ethnicity or religion?