The internment of Japanese Americans in the United States resulted in emotional and social deconstruction of Japanese citizens and immigrants. Tying back to the first lecture of what makes an identity, the word "Japanese" evolved in meaning and changed to reflect social hierarchy over the course of World War II as reflected in the eventual use of the derogatory term "Jap"). The United States government, in response to Pearl Harbor, forcibly took "all persons of Japanese ancestry, both aliens and non-aliens". The American government recast the Japanese population to what they considered to be the "enemy". Whereas the United States government tested the allegiance of Germans and Italians with ease, it struggled with the Japanese. This was clearly a testament to the xenophobia, racist and inherent biases against the Japanese given their appearance. The caucasian "enemy" was a quicker process because they "look the part".
The strangest action that the United States took was to take away military status of Japanese Americans that were already registered as soldiers. Would not choosing to fight for the United States be the most evident example of national loyalty? This continued practice of testing loyalty through questionnaires proves to be ineffective and humiliating. Many of the Japanese internees chose to submit to loyalty tests to the United States in fear that they would be discriminated against or punished. Immigrants and minorities are always pushed to prove their loyalty and often they must demonstrate more patriotism than that of a white citizen in order to compensate for their appearance and the perception that they are outsiders.
In addition, the Japanese internment system cornered Japanese internees in multiple ways. The War Relocation Authority or WRA that created loyalty questionnaire and encouraged assimilation of the Japanese to American customs. One of the principles that the WRA agreed adhered to was religious freedom, however, they would often target or give suspect to those who practiced Shintoism as it demonstrated their allegiance to the emperor. This is a clear contradiction, nearly set as a trap. Near the end of World War II, the Japanese were allowed to leave the internment camps, but given public hostility, many wanted to stay at the camps. However, the only way one was allowed to stay was to renounce one’s citizenship. This forced Japanese immigrants to either enter a society that didn't accept them for who they were or to leave any hope of staying in the United States.
Ultimately, the Japanese internment camps demonstrated the widespread xenophobia and racism that existed in wartime America. An example is an article was written during World War II on "How to identify a Jap". This article was described the physical differences, in body structure, between Chinese and Japanese people, reflecting the specific resentment towards Japanese citizens and those of Japanese descent. The racism against the Japanese was based on the assumption that white was "standard" or "typical" or “normal”. Any deviation from this was perceived as cause for confusion and distrust. American is a land of immigrants. The period of anti-Japanese sentiment counters the idealized view of of American nationalism that built on the recognition that every person comes from a different background and that is what makes America unique. The only "alien" group to the United States are Native Americans.