During World War II, the United States forcibly relocated and incarcerated at least 125,284 people of Japanese descent in 75 identified incarceration sites. Most lived on the Pacific Coast, in concentration camps in the western interior of the country. Approximately two-thirds of the inmates were United States citizens. These actions were initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt via Executive Order 9066 following Imperial Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.
Of the 127,000 Japanese Americans who were living in the continental United States at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, 112,000 resided on the West Coast. About 80,000 were Nisei (literal translation: ‘second generation’; American-born Japanese with U.S. citizenship) and Sansei (‘third generation’, the children of Nisei). The rest were Issei (‘first generation’) immigrants born in Japan who were ineligible for U.S. citizenship under U.S. law.
Japanese Americans were placed in concentration camps based on local population concentrations and regional politics. More than 112,000 Japanese Americans who were living on the West Coast were incarcerated in camps which were located in its interior. In Hawaii (which was under martial law), where more than 150,000 Japanese Americans comprised over one-third of the territory’s population, only 1,200 to 1,800 were incarcerated. California defined anyone with 1⁄16th or more Japanese lineage as a person who should be incarcerated. Colonel Karl Bendetsen, the architect of the program, went so far as to say that anyone with “one drop of Japanese blood” qualified for incarceration.
These War Relocation Authority photos from
The Library of Congress that depicted Japanese Americans before and during World War II and their incarceration in concentration camps.
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| Oakland, Ca., March 1942. A large sign reading "I am an American" placed in the window of a store, at [401 - 403 Eighth] and Franklin streets, on December 8, the day after Pearl Harbor. The store was closed following orders to persons of Japanese descent to evacuate from certain West Coast areas. The owner, a University of California graduate, will be housed with hundreds of evacuees in War Relocation Authority centers for the duration of the war |
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| Hayward, Ca., April 1942. A farmer of Japanese ancestry at the Wartime Civil Control Administration, preparatory to evacuation and going to a War Relocation Authority center for the duration of the war |
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| Lone Pine, Ca., April 1942. Evacuees of Japanese ancestry arriving by train and awaiting buses for Manzanar, a War Relocation Authority center |
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| Los Angeles, Ca., April 1942. A vegetable concession in a wholesale produce market operated almost exclusively by residents of Japanese ancestry before they were evacuated and transferred to War Relocation Authority centers for the duration |
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| Los Angeles, Ca., April 1942. Evacuees of Japanese ancestry, loaded down with baggage entraining for Manzanar, Ca., 250 miles away, where they are to be housed in a War Relocation Authority center |
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| Manzanar, Ca., April 1942. Evacuees of Japanese descent being examined a second time by a fellow-evacuee medical staff before disembarking from the bus at the War Relocation Authority center |
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| Manzanar, Ca., April 1942. Girls receiving plates of lunch at the cafeteria shortly after arrival of the first evacuees of Japanese ancestry at the the War Relocation Authority center |
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| Manzanar, Ca., April 1942. Japanese men eating in a dining room at the War Relocation Authority center for evacuees of Japanese ancestry |
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| Manzanar, Ca., May 1942. A dancing class in the girls' recreation hall at the War Relocation Authority center where evacuees of Japanese ancestry will spend the duration of the war |
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| Manzanar, Ca., May 1942. Youngsters playing in the field of a nursery school at the War Relocation Authority center where these and other evacuees of Japanese ancestry, from certain West Coast areas, will spend the duration of the war |
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| Mountain View, Ca., April 1942. A barbeque picnic held on a farm in Santa Clara County for evacuees of Japanese ancestry who will be housed in War Relocation Authority centers for the duration of the war |
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| Mountain View, Ca., April 1942. A farm house in the rural section where farmers of Japanese ancestry raised truck garden crops. Evacuees from this and other military areas will be housed in War Relocation Authority centers for the duration of the war |
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| Mountain View, Ca., April 1942. A ranch house, typical of many California rural sections where residents of Japanese ancestry were engaged in truck gardening. They will be housed in War Relocation Authority centers for the duration of the war |
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| Mountain View, Ca., April 1942. A scene in an orchard of a 20-acre farm before the operators, of Japanese ancestry, were evacuated, to go later to War Relocation Authority centers for the duration |
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| Salinas, Ca., April 1942. Evacuees of Japanese ancestry from certain West Coast areas, seated in family groups at the armory ready to go to the assembly center from which they will be transferred later to War Relocation Authority centers for the duration of the war |
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| Salinas, Ca., April 1942. Evacuees, of Japanese descent, being vaccinated by a fellow physician at the assembly center prior to their transfer to a War Relocation Authority center |
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| San Francisco, Ca., April 1942. Wives and children of two men being held as dangerous enemy aliens. They will be evacuated with other persons of Japanese ancestry and will spend the duration of the war in War Relocation Authority centers |
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| San Francisco, Ca., April 1942. A clergyman of Japanese ancestry receiving information on the evacuation of persons who will be housed in War Relocation Authority centers for the duration the war |
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| San Francisco, Ca., April 1942. A father and son registering for the evacuation of persons of Japanese ancestry. The evacuees will be housed in War Relocation Authority centers for the duration of the war |
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| San Francisco, Ca., April 1942. A pupil of the Weill public school having lunch. He is one of the evacuees of Japanese ancestry who will be housed in a War Relocation Authority center for the duration of the war |
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| San Francisco, Ca., April 1942. A scene at the Wartime Civil Control Administration station where the first group of 664 persons of Japanese ancestry from San Francisco, registered before going to War Relocation Authority centers |
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| San Francisco, Ca., April 1942. Early comers part of the contingent of 664 residents of Japanese ancestry to be evacuated from San Francisco and house in War Relocation Authority centers for the duration |
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| San Francisco, Ca., April 1942. Residents of Japanese ancestry registering for evacuation and housing, later, in War Relocation Authority centers for duration of the war |
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| San Leandro, Ca., April 1942. Bunching young tomato plants on an Alameda County farm for one of the last shipments to market prior to evacuation of these workers of Japanese ancestry and their housing in War Relocation Authority centers for the duration of the war |
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| San Pedro, Ca., April 1942. A truck jammed high with suitcases, blankets, household equipment, and garden tools, as well as children all bearing registration tags, as the last Redondo Beach residents of Japanese ancestry were moving to the assembly center at Arcadia. These evacuees will be housed in War Relocation Authority centers for the duration of the war |
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| San Pedro, Ca., April 1942. Evacuated residents of Japanese ancestry awaiting transportation to the assembly center at Arcadia. They will be transferred, later, to War Relocation Authority centers for the duration of the war |
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| San Pedro, Ca., April 1942. Military police giving advice to evacuees of Japanese ancestry as the last leave their Redondo Beach homes for assembly center at Arcadia. They will be transferred later to War Relocation Authority centers for the duration of the war |
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| Santa Anita reception center, Arcadia, Ca., April 1942. Attendants registering arrivals and assigning them, family by family, to their new quarters. These evacuees of Japanese ancestry will be transferred later to War Relocation Authority centers for the duration of the war |
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| Santa Anita reception center, Arcadia, Ca., April 1942. Special food being prepared for babies at the center for evacuees of Japanese ancestry. Evacuees will be transferred, later, to War Relocation Authority centers for the duration |
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| Stockton, Ca., April 1942. A Caterpillar tractor used intensively on this 1300 acre farm which was worked and managed by persons of Japanese ancestry before evacuation. Evacuees from military areas are housed in War Relocation Authority centers for the duration |
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