I'm sorry to get back so late to you. I haven't been able to get to
my e-mail. I am not sure of the details. Google seems to do a decent job.... I am trying to get specifics. If and when I get them, I will get back to you on the subject.
Bobbi
This thread took a curious, albeit interesting, turn. The initial thrust of it related to German aliens and German Americans interned in American camps during WWII. Somehow it wound its way into German POW camps in the US, which is an interesting subject unto itself.
Back to the initial thrust though. During WWII, the U.S. Government interned at least 11,000 persons of German ancestry. By law, only �enemy aliens� could be interned; however, with governmental approval, their family members frequently joined them in the camps. Many such �voluntarily� interned spouses and children were American citizens. Pressured by the United States, Latin American governments collectively arrested at least 4,000 German Latin Americans (presumably included in this larger number). Most were shipped by boat to the United States and interned in these same camps. At least 2,000 Germans, German Americans and Latin American internees were later exchanged for Americans and Latin Americans held by the Third Reich in Germany.
There were also roughly 3000 Italians interred as "enemy aliens", and likewise nearly 17,000 Japanese. As is much better known and documented, over 110,000 Japanese Americans were rounded up and interred in camps along the West coast during WWII.
Something interesting here on the choice of terminology as �enemy aliens� for such internees (as was the case also in WWI). It actually dates back to post colonial times:
Selective Internment. Pursuant to the Alien Enemy Act of 1798 (50 U.S.C 21-24), which remains in effect today, the U.S. may apprehend, intern and otherwise restrict the freedom of �alien enemies� upon declaration of war or actual, attempted or threatened invasion by a foreign nation.
For more on German-American internees in the United States during WWII, here is a good starting point and overview ~
http://www.traces.org/germaninternees.html
Jb
Jb wrote:
There were also roughly 3000 Italians interred as "enemy aliens", and likewise nearly 17,000 Japanese. As is much better known and documented, over 110,000 Japanese Americans were rounded up and interred in camps along the West coast during WWII.
Correction: INTERNED as opposed to INTERRED of course. Got my mind on digging up too many 'old bones' it seems (one thing to which we all can relate). 
Jb