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World War II Japanese Americans Incarceration: Search the Database

 

The Records About Japanese Americans Removed During World War II database provides basic information about Japanese and Japanese Americans who were incarcerated in War Relocation Authority (WRA) camps beginning in May 1942. This information can help you request an individual's WRA case file.

This database is available online through the National Archives' Access to Archival Databases (AAD). Before you can effectively find a person in the AAD database, you need to know:

  • The individual's name (including all names used while at the WRA camp). Some individuals are listed by their Japanese name, and others are listed by their English name. Many younger internees had both Japanese and English names.

Note: The AAD database generally does not include records of individuals who were born in the WRA camps. For these individuals, please proceed to the WRA Case File Request form, provide us with the requested information, and send it to the email address or mailing address listed on the form.

For more information about this database, please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

On This Page

 
Individuals of Japanese ancestry at the Santa Anita Assembly Center in April 1942 before removal to WRA camps.
Enlarge

Individuals of Japanese ancestry at the Santa Anita Assembly Center in April 1942 before removal to WRA camps. (National Archives Identifier: 537040)

Basic Search Steps

  1. Navigate to Records About Japanese Americans Removed During World War II.
  2. Search for the individual you are looking for. There are two options for a search:
    • Enter the name of the person you are looking for in the box under "Search this file," and click on "Search."
    • Enter the person's last name, first name, year of birth, or other information in the boxes under "Enter Values." Then click on "Search."
  3. If a record is found for a search under that name, click on "View Record" to determine if it is the right person.
  4. If you do not know the name of the head of family or you find too many people with the same name:
    • You can sort the search results by "last permanent address" by clicking on the arrow just below the column name. You can also sort by "individual number." The individual number groups family members together. (For more information, see the FAQs.)
    • You can search the 1930 Census if you know the name of a family member who was born before 1930. Once you find that person in the 1930 Census, it may lead you to the head of household who accompanied the person to the WRA camp.

Search Results

Positive Search Result (You find an entry in the AAD for the person.)

If you find your person, write down the following information as it appears in the AAD entry:

  • Name of the internee (include all names used while in a WRA camp)
  • Year of birth
  • Name of the WRA camp (also known as a center or project)

Then proceed to Accessing WRA Case Files for information about requesting a case file.

You may also want to check the Department of Justice (DOJ) Internee Cards and Case Files to see if the person had an Alien Enemy hearing.

Negative Search Result (You do not find an entry in the AAD for the person.)

If you do not find your person, proceed to search the Department of Justice (DOJ) Internee Cards and Case Files to see if the person had an Alien Enemy hearing.

Examples

To illustrate the above, we will search for two individuals in the AAD database who we believe were incarcerated in a WRA camp.

Example 1: Positive Search Result

First we look for Eitaro Baba.

  1. Navigate to Records About Japanese Americans Removed During World War II.

     

    Search WWII Records database sample
  2. Enter "Eitaro Baba" (the name of the person you are looking for) into the search box, and click on "Search."

     

    Search WWII database field sample
  3. You will then see a screen that says "Display Partial Results." In this case, one record was found for a person named Eitaro Baba. Click on "View Record" to see the full record.

     

    Display partial records list sample
  4. You will now see the full results. Make note of the person's name (including all names used while in a WRA camp), year of birth, and WRA camp (center or project).

     

    Display full records list sample
  5. Proceed to Accessing WRA Case Files.

Example 2: Negative Search Result

Next we look for Choichi Ito.

  1. Navigate to Records About Japanese Americans Removed During World War II.

     

    Search WWII Records database sample
  2. Enter "Choichi Ito" (the name of the person you are looking for) into the search box, and click on "Search."

     

    Field search sample
  3. The search results show no record for Choichi Ito. You may wish to view the FAQs for more information on why individuals may be missing from this database.

     

    Display partial records sample
  4. Proceed to look for Chiochi Ito in the Department of Justice (DOJ) Internee Cards and Case Files.
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