How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
He was not only an alien; he held a commercial fishing license, and in the early days of the war the FBI was picking up all such men, for fear they were somehow making contact with enemy ships off the coast. (I.1.15)
Hmm… sounds a little extreme… all Japanese American fishermen? That's a lot of fishermen…
Quote #2
They [The FBI] got him two weeks later, when we were staying overnight at Woody's place, on Terminal Island. Five hundred Japanese families lived there then, and FBI deputies had been questioning everyone, ransacking houses for anything that could conceivably be used for signaling planes or ships or that indicated loyalty to the Emperor. (I.1.16)
Can you say illegal search and seizure?
Quote #3
To the FBI every radio owner was a potential saboteur. The confiscators were often deputies sworn in hastily during the turbulent days right after Pearl Harbor, and these men seemed to be acting out the general panic, seeing sinister possibilities in the most ordinary household items: flashlights, kitchen knives, cameras, lanterns, toy swords. (I.1.16)
If a few words—like witch hunt, paranoia, injustice—are coming to your mind, don't block them out. Here's the clue: when things are done out of "general panic," you can be pretty sure that they aren't smart or good things.