Japanese American Incarceration in California is composed mainly of documents related to the relocation program during World War II. Items include the official government report of the Manzanar Relocation Center, oral histories, a photo album, post-war activism related to preserving and remembering the camps, and various clippings and documents. The strength of this collection is found in its many perspectives on the controversial "relocation" program and how it has been presented since World War II.

On February 19th, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the forced removal of Japanese-American citizens on the West Coast. For the duration of the war, 110,000 citizens forcibly resided in Relocation Centers across the western half of the United States. Most famous of these internment camps was Manzanar, near Death Valley, and Tule Lake in Northern California. Although the relocation program was authorized due to fears of a Japanese attack from within US borders; not a single internee was convicted for a war related crime.

8 Boxes ; Some oversized items

Property rights reside with the California State University, Fullerton University Archives and Special Collections. No part may be quoted for publication without the written permission of the University Archives & Special Collections, CSU Fullerton or the copyright holder.Requests for permission to quote from these materials should be addressed to: California State University, Fullerton University Archives & Special Collections 800 N. State College, PLS-352 |Fullerton, CA 92834-3599 (657) 278-3444

The collection is open for research. Some materials within the collection are subject to reproduction restrictions.