The incarceration of Japanese Americans in 1942 was primarily caused by race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.
Race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership were the main errors in thinking that led to the incarceration of over 127,000 Japanese Americans in 1942. The discriminatory belief that Japanese Americans might be disloyal to the United States fueled unjustified fears, resulting in their internment without individualized reviews, violating their constitutional rights.