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Essay / Japanese attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor
President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed that December 7, 1941, would go down in history as "a date which will live in infamy." He made the statement in a speech the day after Japan's surprise attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Until this day, the United States remained neutral regarding entry into a new world war. After the effects and devastation that the First World War caused to the country, the government decided to regress towards isolationism, excluding itself from any further foreign influence. It was not until FDR ignored the Neutrality Act by offering a loan to China and establishing an embargo preventing Japan from gathering much-needed supplies such as oil, iron, gas and steel, in 1940. At that time, Japan felt there was a problem. no choice but to declare war on the United States. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay With the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the United States feared having to protect its nation on two coastal fronts against Germany at the east and Japan to the east. West. Under enormous pressure from military and political leaders, FDR acted to prevent further Japanese attacks and eliminate any suspicion of sabotage and espionage. So, on February 19, 1941, just two months after the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese bombers, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order No. 9066 which affected many immigrants and American citizens of Japanese, German, and Italian ancestry. authorization to Secretary of War Henry Stimson and the "appropriate military commander" he designated, the ability to establish certain areas "from which any person may be excluded." These “military zones,” as they were called, housed war materials and public services protected from Japanese invasion and sabotage. Some of these areas were located in the interiors of certain states, such as California, Washington, and Oregon, while others were established in Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, and Arizona. Much of these evacuations and relocations took place on the West Coast, where anti-Asian racism dates back to early Asian immigration and the Chinese Exclusion Bill of 1882. Federal command of these areas allowed the uprooting and hiding of all Japanese and Germans. , and even Italian-American citizens because of their lineage that linked them to their country of origin. The order justified the loss of land, homes, jobs, businesses and lives for those against whom it allegedly discriminated. For nearly sixty years, prejudice against extraterrestrial ancestors seemed to further contribute to war hysteria across the country. Japanese Americans were specifically targeted by the nation's paranoia and fear of further Japanese airstrikes and potential threats of sabotage, not by the words used in President Roosevelt's speech. decree. The President deliberately uses vague, if any, descriptions to describe the type of “person” who should be “excluded.” His language and tone convey an underlying message of approaching “by any means necessary” to end and subdue any threat of betrayal and sabotage that may arise. It can be argued that the use of words such as “discretionary powers” and “judgments” could be left open to interpretation. His statement, "all people" offers no limits on "who" is labeled, but given the era in which the.