Japanese Relocation

Japanese Relocation is a 1942 short film produced by the U.S. Office of War Information and distributed by the War Activities Committee of the Motion Picture Industry. It is a propaganda film, justifying and explaining Japanese American internment on the West Coast during World War II. It is narrated by Milton Eisenhower.^[1]

Japanese Relocation
Japanese Relocation
Directed by	Milton S. Eisenhower
Written by	Milton S. Eisenhower
Produced by	Office of War Information
Starring	Milton S. Eisenhower
Narrated by	Milton S. Eisenhower
Distributed by	War Activities Committee of the Motion Picture Industry
Release date	November 12, 1942 (1942-11-12)
Running time	9 minutes 40 seconds
Country	United States
Language	English

The film starts by asserting that, while many Japanese-Americans were loyal, in early 1942 the West Coast was a potential combat zone,^[2] and the government did not know what the Japanese population would do if the US were invaded. Furthermore, the film noted that there were Japanese-American communities near militarily significant sites, such as shipyards and air bases.

So, the film states, the Japanese were democratically and humanely evacuated to relocation centers in the desert. The film also states that most Japanese went voluntarily, and felt that it was a sacrifice they should make as loyal citizens.

References

1. Young, William H.; Young, Nancy K. (September 17, 2010). World War II and the Postwar Years in America: A Historical and Cultural Encyclopedia [2 volumes]: A Historical and Cultural Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 410. ISBN 978-0-313-35653-7. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
2. Barsam, Richard; Barsam, Richard Meran (November 22, 1992). Nonfiction Film: A Critical History Revised and Expanded. Indiana University Press. p. 220. ISBN 978-0-253-20706-7. Retrieved December 23, 2022.

External links

• Japanese Relocation on YouTube
• Japanese Relocation at IMDb
• Japanese Relocation is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive