Executive Order 9066 Primary Source Analysis

Students will read and analyze Executive Order 9066 about Japanese Internment during World War 2 (WW2, WWII) by answering 9 questions. There are then 7 discussion questions which students could pair up to discuss and answer before having a whole class discussion on these questions. The answers are included where appropriate and this would be great for a sub!

 Sample document based questions include:
--What did Roosevelt mean when he said “protection against espionage and against sabotage?” 
--Summarize what the President has authorized the Secretary of War to prescribe when deemed necessary (per the second paragraph).
--Infer what the “use of Federal troops” may have included as per the 4th paragraph. Describe a situation or circumstance in which Federal troops or agencies would have needed to be used.
--Explain any possible significance to, or reason for, the lack of the terms “Japanese/Asian/Pacific/Issei/Nissei” in this executive order.

 Sample discussion questions include:
--The majority of those interred were Japanese-Americans who had been born in America. Did these Japanese-Americans not have rights given to them by the Constitution? How was it possible, or justified in the historical context, that racially motivated fear stripped these people of their civil liberties and rights? Do we see anything similar to this today?
--It was not until 1988, under President Reagan, that an official apology was issued to Japanese-Americans and compensation distributed. Why do you think it took so long for America to acknowledge speak out on said actions?

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