Challenge to Democracy, A (c 1944)

Film on the massive internment of Japanese Americans in concentration camps during World War II.
It seems that the film tries to reassure the viewer that the conditions in the camps are not too “soft” — that the Japanese Americans there have to work hard and actually provide for many of their own needs, costing the taxpayer as little as possible. It also takes pains to describe the internees as involved in community activities like the Boy Scouts, Red Cross and church-going. It makes the point several times that internees are mostly loyal to America, but that the potential threat they pose is being dealt with appropriately.

We digitized and uploaded this film on behalf of the Prelinger Archives. Email us at footage@avgeeks.com if you have questions about the footage and are interested in using it in your project. challenge-to-democracy-a-c-1944