The San José State University Japanese-American Internment Research Collection, 1935-2010 (bulk 1942-2010), documents the internment of Americans of Japanese descent from 1942-1945, the presence of Japanese-American students at San Jose State College in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and the awarding of honorary degrees to some of those students by San José State University in 2010. The records consist of brochures, correspondence, government reports, magazines, memorabilia, memos, newspaper clippings, photocopied articles, photos, and spreadsheets. This collection is arranged into three series: Series I. Japanese-American San Jose State College Students, 1935 - 1994, Series II. Japanese-American Internment, 1942-1996, and Series III. Nisei Diploma Project at SJSU, 2009-2010.

On February 19, 1942 President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 providing broad powers for the War Department to create exclusion zones and to initiate an evacuation program for the Western Defense Command (WDC). Under the leadership of General John Dewitt of the WDC, the Civil Affairs Division (CAD) and the Wartime Civil Control Administration (WCCA) were created in order to provide for the transition of voluntary evacuees, enemy aliens and United States citizens alike, from exclusion areas to other parts of the country. The failure of the voluntary evacuation plan led President Roosevelt to issue Executive Order 9102, which established the civilian run War Relocation Authority (WRA). The WRA was mandated to institute enforced evacuations. Due to the recalcitrance of states on the interior of the country to accept the Japanese evacuees or to provide for their safety, the WRA also constructed internment centers in order to house the evacuees. Between 1942-1945 the WRA, the WCCA, the CAD and the Office of the Commanding General of the Western Defense Command segregated and housed approximately 110,000 Japanese-American men, women and children.

1 box (0.5 linear feet)

Collection is open for research. Photocopying of original newspapers is prohibited.