Final answer:
Japanese-Americans were interned during WWII due to race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership following Pearl Harbor. Over 110,000 individuals were affected, most being American citizens with no evidence of disloyalty.
Step-by-step explanation:
During World War II, Japanese-Americans were interned due to a mix of race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Executive Order 9066 authorized the internment, affecting over 110,000 Japanese and Japanese-descended individuals.
A significant number of these were American citizens. Despite the lack of evidence for espionage or sabotage, and despite the service of many Japanese-Americans in the U.S. military, this community faced forced relocation and confinement.
The internment was later acknowledged as unjust, highlighted by a formal apology from the U.S. government and reparations issued in 1988.