Japanese American National Museum, Gift of Eiichi Edward Sakauye (96.147.1)

This object is part of the story , which is about Migration.

Migration, Train Ride to the Unknown

The War Relocation Authority removed more than 100,000 people from the West Coast. After considering over 300 sites at which to possibly confine the Japanese Americans, it eventually selected 10 sites that met the following criteria:

  • Not near areas deemed strategic by the military
  • On public lands
  • Transportation and utilities nearby
  • Could hold a minimum of 5,000 inmates
  • Water, soil, and climate favorable enough to provide year-round opportunities for food production, war production, or public works
  • How is this story of forced migration similar and different from other events in US history and peoples’ experiences in other nations?