In this collection, students will analyze a single photograph taken during the Japanese American incarceration era in San Francisco, CA in 1942. It shows residents of Japanese ancestry appearing for registration prior to evacuation as mandated by Executive Order 9066, with a young woman as the focal point of the image. Complementary articles, images, and videos support a deeper contextual understanding of the image and the intentions of the photographer, Dorothea Lange, in capturing this moment in time. 

Teachers and students may use this collection as a springboard for classroom discussion about Japanese American incarceration, as well as an opportunity to analyze visual clues and details of a complex photograph.

Keywords: War Relocation Authority, EO9066, internment, World War II  relocation centers

This Smithsonian Learning Lab collection received Federal support from the Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.

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