How did some Japanese Americans die in the Japanese Internment Camps?
1 Answer
Some Japanese Americans died due to sickness caused by poor living conditions in the camps or extreme weather, although a few individuals were also shot by guards.
Explanation:
The living conditions in many of the Japanese American internment camps were very poor: some buildings lacked proper insulation, roofing, and plumbing, among other things. The buildings had been constructed quickly and cheaply, and in many cases there was not adequate space for families to live. Conditions were often very cramped. The combination of crowded quarters and inadequate sanitation led to the spread of sickness.
Many of the internment camps were built in the western United States in places that experienced extreme weather conditions, like huge drops in temperature or dust storms. These conditions also adversely affected people and led to illness. As many of the camps did not have adequately furnished or functioning hospitals for months after they opened (due to the speed at which they had been put up), many camps were not equipped to properly treat illnesses, which led to deaths among the camps' populations.
Finally, there are a handful of documented reports of guards shooting and killing individuals, either during riots that occurred in the camps or during purported escape attempts.
