Discover the History ofWWII Incarceration
120,000 Japanese Americans were unjustly incarcerated during World War II. Learn about this unprecedented denial of civil liberties and why it still matters today.
Explore Personal Stories
Learn about Japanese American history and the legacy of WWII incarceration by exploring personal stories from those who lived through it.
Promote Equity Today
History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes. Join us in putting the lessons of Japanese American WWII incarceration into action today.
Densho Catalyst: History, Essays, & Opinion
Dive into hidden histories and learn why these stories matter today with the latest essays and opinions from Densho and other community voices.
Photo Essay: Commemorating Bainbridge Island’s Japanese American History
This past weekend, the Densho team was honored to join the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Association for the Commemoration of the 83rd Anniversary of the Day of Forced...
The Rise and Threats of Digital Erasure in Public Memory
Over the last week, the U.S. Army quietly removed and republished its webpage on the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT), the famed all-Japanese American unit that became one of the...
Teaching Civic Education Through Japanese American History
Civic education isn’t just about the past — it’s about understanding how history shapes our present and future. The incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII provides a critical lens for...Upcoming Events
Minoru Yasui Day Awards
IN PERSON or VIRTUAL
Join the Minoru Yasui Legacy Project for the annual Minoru Yasui Day program at the University of Oregon Portland - NE Campus. We'll gather to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Minoru Yasui being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, posthumously, by President Barack Obama. Densho is honored to be awarded the Minoru Yasui Activist Award.
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Campu: A Podcast
Campu weaves together the voices of survivors to spin narratives out of the seemingly mundane things that gave shape to the incarceration experience: rocks, fences, food, paper. Follow along as hosts Hana and Noah Maruyama move far beyond the standard Japanese American incarceration 101 and into more intimate and lesser-known corners of this history.
Encyclopedia
Thousands of articles about the history of the Japanese American WWII exclusion and incarceration experience. Here are a few to get you started:
Documentary films/videos on incarceration
The following is an attempt at a comprehensive listing of documentary films/videos that include a significant treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II, broken up into several broad categories.
Scene (magazine)
Japanese American pictorial monthly magazine that ran from 1949 to 1955. Largely produced by and for Nisei, Scene magazine highlighted "successful" Japanese Americans as well as Japanese culture.
Owens Valley (detention facility)
The Owens Valley Reception Center—later the Manzanar Reception Center—was the first of the WCCA -administered short-term detention camps to open when the first "volunteers" from the Los Angeles area arrived on March 21, 1942.