Internees were denied other liberties we, as Americans take for granted. Organizations were forbidden in the camps, except in seldom instances where permission was granted by camp authorities. Privacy was violated by camp authorities and by the general design of the camp's buildings. Police were allowed to enter any room without warrant and many of the walls did not reach the ceiling. Also evacuees were requested to voluntarily hand in Japanese books, pamphlets, literature, and other records deemed suspicious by Americans. Religious freedom was also denied: Shinto, a major religion for the Japanese, was banned from many of the camps (1-4).
As you can see the camps did not offer an ideal setting for achieving equality in the American society. Internees often slept in tight quarters and had to deal with unsanitary conditions in and around the evacuation sites. The camps also did not offer great weather conditions for the internees. Many of the camps where set in desert like areas or sometimes even swamp like grounds. Usually the temperatures were extremely hot during the daylight hours and chilling in the evening and windy because of the lack of trees. .
Many of the incarcerated internees were of the working class; some more well-off than others. During their stay at the American camps they were encouraged to work and many did so out of loyalty and boredom. Salary was paid on a monthly basis as follows: $8 for unskilled labor, $12 for skilled labor and $16 for professional work. Low salaries were justified by the US government because the camps offered shelter, food and medical care free of charge as well as coupon books of a few dollars per month that could be redeemed for necessities. Though the justification may sound acceptable all the housing was shabby, the bathroom without privacy, and the food wasn't too good. However it seems while they were supposed to be working the workers used their time as well as off duty time to better their barracks or provide things they felt needed to survive in the camps.
