Final answer:
Prior to World War II, anti-Japanese sentiment was based on a racist narrative that stereotyped Japanese as inferior and a threat, culminating in discriminatory policies and the internment of Japanese Americans during the war.
Step-by-step explanation:
Prior to World War II, anti-Japanese sentiment was deeply rooted in a racist narrative that viewed the Japanese as racially inferior and a threat to Western dominance. The racist assumptions about Japanese individuals were not only prevalent in society but were also institutionalized through policies such as the California Alien Land Law of 1913, which targeted Japanese immigrants, prohibiting them from owning land.
The sentiments reached their peak during World War II with the attack on Pearl Harbor, which resulted in the internment of about 120,000 Japanese Americans through Executive Order 9066. This act was fueled by fears of espionage and sabotage but was largely based on prejudice and paranoia, ignoring reports that highlighted the low risk of Japanese-American disloyalty.
Propaganda during this period depicted the Japanese as monstrous and inhuman, contributing to the narrative that framed them as an existential threat to American values and society.