Social conflict during World War II led to the evacuation of approximately 120,000 people due to recent disturbing events that caused rumors of espionage and because of their Japanese origins. Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 was what brought the United States into World War II and dramatically changed the lives of many different people of Japanese descent living in the United States. The attack increased racial prejudice and raised fears of potential sabotage or espionage by Japanese-Americans living in the United States. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In response to the attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 in February 1942, which authorized the Secretary of War to establish military areas and remove from those areas anyone who might threaten war. The government gave all residents of Japanese descent living on the West Coast just a few days to decide what to do with their homes, properties, and possessions. Most families sold their homes and their belongings lost money due to the need to sell quickly. Some families rented their properties to neighbors, others left their possessions to trusted friends, and some families even abandoned their properties altogether. It was a time of panic and confusion because people had no idea where they were going or how long they would be there. Each family was assigned an identification number and loaded into cars, buses, trucks and trains, taking with them only the things they could carry with them. Then, Japanese Americans were taken to 17 different assembly centers located at racetracks, fairgrounds, and similar facilities. All this happened under strict military surveillance. From the assembly centers, they were then transferred to one of 10 quickly built relocation centers, with the relocation completed by November 1942. In total, there were 10 war relocation centers, all built in remote areas with difficult living conditions, including deserts, plains and swamps. Because the camps were located in these remote and isolated areas, summer temperatures reached up to 110º and in the winter temperatures dropped below freezing. Transfer centers were built in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. Manzanar (one of the ten relocation camps), located in California's Owens Valley, between the Sierra Nevada to the west and the Inyo Mountains to the east, was representative in many ways of the 10 camps. Approximately two-thirds of all Japanese Americans interned at Manzanar were born as American citizens. The final third were foreigners, many of whom had lived in the United States for many years but were still denied legal American citizenship. The first Japanese Americans to arrive at Manzanar, in March 1942, were people who had volunteered to build the camp. The Manzanar camp consisted of 500 acres of homes surrounded by barbed wire and 8 guard towers with searchlights that watched over the camp. All this was patrolled by the military police. The remaining 5,500 acres were used for military police housing, a reservoir, a wastewater treatment plant, and agricultural land. By September 1942, more than 10,000 Japanese Americans lived in 504 crowded barracks organized into 36 blocks. Between 200 and 400 people lived in each block, which had 14 barracks each divided into 4 rooms: shared toilets and showers for men and women, a laundry room and a canteen. All 8 people were assigned a 20 x 25 room.