Asian American History Japanese American Incarceration 1946 War Relocation Authority Report on Camp Closure and Resettlement

War Relocation Authority

Pamphlet

United States Department of the Interior, War Relocation Authority. The Relocation Program (1946) documents the federal administration of Japanese American incarceration during World War II and provides direct evidence of the government’s policies governing camp closure, dispersal, and postwar resettlement. Issued immediately after the end of the war, the report outlines the institutional framework that shaped the forced removal and subsequent reintegration of Japanese American communities, including Issei and Nisei populations. It records the structural barriers faced by formerly incarcerated individuals, including discrimination in housing and employment, and situates these experiences within broader federal policy. The text supports research into wartime civil liberties, Asian American history, and the long term social and economic consequences of incarceration under Executive Order 9066.

The Relocation Program. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1946. Government-issued softcover report produced by the War Relocation Authority. The volume includes a detailed “Statement of Facts” section describing the effects of incarceration, noting that “mental suffering has been caused by the forced mass evacuation,” and documenting “an almost complete destruction of financial foundations built during over a half-century.” Additional passages describe forced property loss “at a mere trifle of their cost” and emphasize instability within the camps, stating that “residents feel insecure and apprehensive towards the many changes and modifications of WRA policies.” The report also records the exclusion of Buddhist clergy and the disruption of community institutions. Interior front cover bears institutional marking from the United States Army Language School at the Presidio of Monterey, linking the document to military language training and intelligence contexts during and immediately after the war. Quarto format measuring approximately 8.5 x 11 inches, complete in 123 pages.

Published at the conclusion of the War Relocation Authority’s operations, this report captures the transition from wartime incarceration to postwar dispersal and reveals how federal agencies framed both the causes and consequences of Japanese American displacement. Its language provides contemporaneous acknowledgment of economic loss and psychological harm while remaining embedded within administrative reporting structures, making it a critical source for analyzing how the federal government documented its own policies. The association with the United States Army Language School further situates the document within military and intelligence networks that relied on Japanese language expertise during the war, underscoring the paradox of incarceration alongside strategic utilization of Japanese American labor and knowledge. Moderate edge wear to covers with scattered staining and minor corner loss, spine reinforced with cloth tape, and light age toning to pages; overall condition good.

Item #21308

Price: $885.00