Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Japanese-American Relocation Resources

Today we remember those who were killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor which resulted in the United States entering into World War II. It is right that we should honor our fallen heroes.

But we should not forget the other Americans whose lives were also changed—those of Japanese ancestry. War causes nations to take actions that seem, to those in charge at the time, to be necessary. Such is the case of the relocation of Japanese-Americans to internment camps during World War II.

National Archives photo. In the public domain.
Original caption: Hayward, California. Members of the Mochida family awaiting evacuation bus. Identification tags are used to aid in keeping the family unit intact during all phases of evacuation. Mochida operated a nursery and five greenhouses on a two-acre site in Eden Township. He raised snapdragons and sweet peas. Evacuees of Japanese ancestry will be housed in War Relocation Authority centers for the duration.
Date: 8 May 1942.

Descendants of those who were interned in camps may wish to know more about what life was like during those times. Much material about the Japanese-American experience is available at institutions in Southern California. Following are links to descriptions of several collections (an * indicates items are available online):







 © 2011 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research