Nisei, who were second-generation Japanese Americans, were held in internment camps during World War II because of widespread fear and prejudice against Japanese Americans following the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan in 1941. This fear was fueled by racism and xenophobia, leading the United States government to view Japanese Americans, including Nisei, as potential threats to national security. As a result, over 120,000 Japanese Americans, including Nisei, were forcibly removed from their homes and placed in internment camps during the war, regardless of their loyalty or citizenship.
