hey freebird, I appreciate the comments, no offense taken. However, one point I'd like to bring out, was the island of hawaii and the scope of the internment of the large japan-born and japanese-american popluation, or lack thereof. Here you had something like 30% of the population was of "japanese ancestry", plus large, important, and key military bases that had been actually attacked by japan. I think 1% or less were rounded up and sent to camps. A rational decision to move the japanese to camps would certainly have to logically include these "enemies".
Then you have "western strategic area" where you had a japanese population of <1%, and 100% were rounded up and put into camps.
I'd have to say it was fear which was behind the relocation, and I can say it was a false fear, because the japanese americans demonstrated it by their actions. What made it hard for the jpn-americans is that there was no formal apology after the war...you have to remember these people lost their homes, farms, businesses. If it was wrong, why weren't these things returned? note: most had 24-72 hours to sell everything they owned, and had only what they could carry onto the trains.
An often missed reason for the interment is that the small japanese-american community was doing very well fiinancially. They bought junk land, spent years turning it into fertile soil...it was $$$. By law, japanese couldn't become citizens, so often the land was put in the names of their kids. Or, like the YWCA in San Francisco, put in the name of a organzation (fyi, who later sold it to China to become a Chinese embassy). Fear and fear mongering for profit - its why I don't ever plan to set foot in Hearst Castle based on principle.
Yes, there was the $10k and "formal apology" of the 1990's. I think its easy to see how it was sort of "too little, too late" thing, plus many never lived to see it. Many of those that did used it to self-publish books on their experience.
China is the up and coming superpower. Wonder what would happen to all the chinese and chinese americans living in the pacific coast. I sure it would be safer if they weren't all there, especially if there was a war on......
sorry, last thing, but one thing that has stuck with me is that most spies for the japanese weren't japanese or jpn americans. same with present day spies - I think these agencies have figured out its better to go with non-native looking people to hire on as spies. makes them less obvious? I could be wrong, since 007 seems to do blend in well in every country from africa, to asia, to the middle east...but oh, he's a fictional character...
(its late, and I've done a lot of personal study in this area, so its close to my heart).