Why were Japanese Americans targeted even though Executive Order 9066 did not name them?

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Although Executive Order 9066 did not explicitly name Japanese Americans, it granted the military broad authority to exclude any persons from designated areas. This power was quickly applied to virtually the entire Japanese American population on the West Coast.1

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, suspicion fell upon Japanese American communities, leading to the freezing of assets and arrest of community leaders. Despite a lack of evidence of sabotage or espionage, the U.S. War Department, influenced by officials and military commanders, authorized the internment of tens of thousands of Japanese Americans. This action was a culmination of a history of racist and discriminatory treatment of Asian immigrants and their descendants. While similar measures were applied to smaller numbers of German and Italian residents, the actions against Japanese Americans were more sweeping and targeted citizens as well as resident aliens.123