Final answer:
The Panama Hotel served as a storage site for the belongings of Japanese-Americans forcibly relocated to internment camps during World War II, following Executive Order 9066.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Panama Hotel is historically significant as a place where Japanese-Americans who were headed to internment camps during World War II left their personal belongings. It is mentioned in literature and history in reference to the period following the issuance of Executive Order 9066, where over 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry, many of whom were American citizens, were forcibly relocated to internment camps across the United States. While some view the internment as a necessary measure following the attack on Pearl Harbor, many others recognize it as a grave violation of human rights and a dark chapter in American history.