Research Paths
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Introduction
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Check Records Online:
Database of Japanese American Evacuees
(War Relocation Authority, RG 210)Index to the WWII Alien Enemy Detention and Internment Case Files
(Department of Justice, RG 60)
Compensation and Reparations: Index to the Redress Case Files
(Department of Justice, RG 60)
Public Hearings and Testimonies
(Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, RG 220)
Military Records
(Office of the Provost Marshal General, RG 389, and US Army Defense Commands, RG 499) -
Order Copies of Records
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What You Can Do Next
Check the index to the WWII Alien Enemy Detention and Internment Case Files
About the DOJ Records
The records of the Department of Justice (DOJ) include case files that document the DOJ's role in controlling alien enemies during WWII. The files include the arrest and internment of Japanese, Germans, and Italians already targeted by the FBI and military intelligence agencies, and document the procedures and reviews for their detention.
What you will find in these records:
These case files generally document administrative proceedings for the release, parole, or internment of alien enemies. The files may include Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports, pleadings submitted to Federal court, agency administrative or investigative files, agency and public correspondence, newspaper clippings, and transcripts of Alien Enemy Board Hearings.
In the alphabetical index to the DOJ case files, you will find the person's:
- name
- alias
- date of birth
- address
- case file number
- dates of salient actions
- remarks on the internees case
Read more about the records of the DOJ
(Click on the Title for a description)
Search for the person using the Archival Research Catalog (ARC)
To look for RG 60 descriptions online:
- Go to the ARC main page.
- Click the yellow Search button.
- On the next screen, fill in the boxes as follows:
- In the Keyword box, enter the person's name
To limit search results, you can also enter "and Department of Justice" (without quotation marks). - Select 100 where it says "Limit Results to."
- Hit the "Go" button.
- In the Keyword box, enter the person's name
About the Enemy Alien Control Program
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In addition to the mass relocation of persons of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast, the United States also selectively interned or excluded enemy aliens of German, Italian, and Japanese ancestry, living in the United States or Latin America.
More. . .
Result 1: You Find the Individual
If you find your person, click on the link and you will see the details for the record. You may want to print this out or write down their name and case file number. Next, go to the
How to Order page to learn how to contact the Civilian Reference Branch in College Park, MD, for copies of the case file.
Result 2: Not found
For some people, you will get a screen that says "No search results have been found in response to your search criteria." In this case, you should double check the spelling of the name and try again. If no records are found, contact the Civilian Reference Branch.
Example
To illustrate this search, we will look for an individual in ARC who we think should be in the Enemy Alien Detention files.
We will look for Choichi Ito:- Go to the ARC main page.
- Click the yellow Search button.
- On the next screen, fill in the boxes as follows:
- In the Keyword box, enter Choichi Ito
To limit the results, we also add and Department of Justice. - Select 100 where it says "Limit Results to."
- Hit the "Go" button.
- In the Keyword box, enter Choichi Ito
- A listing comes up for Choichi Ito, so click on the link for details.
This page shows details about the individual's records.
If you find this for the person you are looking for, you may want to print it out or write down the person's name and Variant Control Number (the Agency-Assigned Identifier).
Next, go to the How to Order page to learn how to contact the Civilian Reference Branch in College Park, MD, for copies of the case file.
If you want to determine whether or not the family you are looking for sued for reparations or if they testified, proceed to learn how to search the index to the redress case files, and public hearings and testimonies.
You may also wish to review the additional resources listed on What You Can Do Next .