War Relocation Authority Collection, 1941-1949

Summary

Title:

War Relocation Authority Collection

Dates:

1941-1949

Creators:

California State University, Northridge. University Library

Abstract:

This collection brings together materials largely generated by the United States War Relocation Authority (WRA). Additional materials are authored by the press, academics, and other U.S. government agencies. The materials document the forced removal of Japanese Americans during World War II and their incarceration in American concentration camps.

Extent:

.854 linear feet (3 boxes)

Language:

English, Japanese

Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materials guide.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection brings together materials largely generated by the United States War Relocation Authority (WRA). Additional materials are authored by the press, academics, and other U.S. government agencies. The collection consists of federal publications, reports, academic essays, instruction booklets, correspondence and memoranda, and news items documenting the U.S. government's policies of forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans, euphemistically referred to at the time as "relocation" administered by the War Relocation Authority.

Content Warning: The historical documents in this collection include euphemistic terms and racist language that were wrongfully used to describe Japanese Americans during and after the World War II period.

Biographical / historical:

The library created this collection of materials for study and research. The United States War Relocation Authority (WRA) was established in the Office for Emergency Management by Executive Order 9102 on March 18, 1942. The WRA was a civilian agency created to administer the forced removal of Japanese Americans during World War II and manage their incarceration in American concentration camps.

Acquisition information:

Gift and purchase, 1990

Processing information:

The collection was initially processed by Tony Gardner. The finding aid was revised in 2012. It was revised again in 2026 to address outdated and harmful descriptive language. References to Japanese American "relocation," "evacuation," and "internment" during World War II were removed and replaced with community recommended/currently accepted terminology in 2026, such as "Japanese American incarceration."

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Related resources

Related material:

This collection is part of the Japanese American Incarceration Collection

Alternative form available:

Digital reproductions of selected items in this collection are available electronically as a part of the CSU Japanese American Digitization Project.

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Documents
Photographs

About this collection guide

Date Encoded:

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-05-14 11:43:59 -0700.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Terms of access:

Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materials guide.

Location of this collection:

California State University, Northridge, Special Collections

18111 Nordhoff Street

Northridge, CA 91330, US

Contact:

(818) 677-4594

Website