[quidnunc]

spyone wrote: Yes, almost all were American citizens, 99.9% were patriotic citizens who had their businesses, assets, etc. confiscated. This thread should die.

No, that's not quite the case.

There were many who were loyal to the Empire of Japan.

The problem was that we could not just arrest the spies and troublemakers without tipping Japan off that we had broken their diplomatic code.

Consequently, moved all Japanese from the West Coast and we didn't do anything with Japanese in other parts of the US unless they were aliens.

Incidently, we didn't intern the Japanese, we excluded thm from the West Coast.

Those with someplace to go inland could go there instead of to a camp if they were citizen.

[spyone]

They were interned and their assets and businesses were seized.

[fat city]

Many of the West Coast Japanese were employed in the vast West Coast aeronautics industry.