National Japanese American Historical Society

The National Japanese American Historical Society will upgrade the environment for its collections by re-housing 450 camp and 584 military objects and artifacts relating to Japanese American WWII history. Camp objects include arts, crafts, needlework, carpentry, and sculpture handmade in the Japanese American confinement sites throughout the West between 1941 and 1946. The significance of these objects lies in their symbolism and personal stories. Most of the military objects have been donated by U.S. Army veterans and include uniforms, weapons, flags, medals, and insignia--tangible reminders of Japanese American military history, including the heroic yet still largely untold story of Japanese American soldier linguists in the WWII Pacific Theater and occupation of Japan. The re-housing project constitutes a major step forward in the preservation of these materials and in making them accessible to community members and researchers alike.