During World War II, the Japanese Americans were detained in incarceration camps just because they looked like the enemy, Japan. Today, immigrant children are being removed from their families and put into detention centers just because President Trump hates immigrants. I’m going to talk about their similarities and why people should not be put in these camps just because of their looks or where they came from.  Japanese (American) incarceration camps were established during World War II by President Franklin Roosevelt through his Executive Order 9066. From 1942 to 1945, it was the policy of the U.S. government that people of Japanese descent would be placed in isolation camps. These camps are now considered one of the most horrible violations of American civil rights in the 20th century. Immigrant families, including children, who now seek a better life in the United States are being separated when they try to move here. The detention centers that children are being held in are unsafe and unhealthy.  Immigrant and refugee children should be treated with dignity and respect and should not be exposed to conditions that may harm or traumatize them. From the moment children are in the custody of the United States, they deserve good care. Please don’t repeat history.

M. Aki is a sixth-grade student who lives in Berkeley, Calif. The views expressed in the preceding commentary are not necessarily those of the Nichi Bei Weekly.