Enemies among Us: The Relocation, Internment, and Repatriation of German, Italian, and Japanese Americans during the Second World War

During World War II, the United States relocated, interned, and repatriated German and Italian Americans, who were interned in greater numbers than Japanese Americans. John E. Schmitz's book "Enemies among Us" examines the causes, conditions, and consequences of this selective relocation and internment, as well as the effects of internment on those who experienced it. It reveals the similarities in the U.S. governments procedures for those they perceived to be domestic and hemispheric threats, regardless of race.

Format: Hardback
Length: 430 pages
Publication date: 01 August 2021
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press

The United States' treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II has garnered increased attention in recent decades, although the extent of the country's relocation, internment, and repatriation of German and Italian Americans, who were interned in greater numbers than Japanese Americans, remains largely overlooked. Few people are aware of the significant scale of the country's actions, which involved the internment of millions of individuals from these two nations. Moreover, the United States extended its assistance to other countries, particularly in Latin America, in expelling "dangerous" aliens, primarily Germans.

In his book, Enemies among Us: The Internment of Japanese Americans and German and Italian Americans during World War II, John E. Schmitz delves into the causes, conditions, and consequences of the selective relocation and internment of American citizens and enemy aliens. By examining the experiences of German, Italian, and Japanese Americans, Schmitz highlights the similarities in the U.S. government's procedures for those they perceived as domestic and hemispheric threats. This analysis reveals the consistent treatment of these groups, regardless of their race.

By reframing wartime relocation and internment within a broader chronological perspective and considering policies in the wider Western Hemisphere, Enemies among Us offers fresh insights into the reasons behind the United States' decision to relocate, intern, and repatriate both aliens and citizens deemed enemies. This book provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of this complex and controversial period of history.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781496224149