Children of the Mochida Family Wear Tags While Awaiting Evacuation

In March 1942, under the authority of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066, the U.S. Army began the forced evacuation and detention of West Coast residents of Japanese-American ancestry. From the end of March to August, approximately 112,000 persons were sent to "assembly centers" – often racetracks or fairgrounds – where they waited and were tagged to indicate the location of a long-term "relocation center" that would be their home for the rest of the war. Nearly 70,000 of the evacuees were American citizens. There were no charges of disloyalty against any of these citizens, nor was there any vehicle by which they could appeal their loss of property and personal liberty.

The original caption for this photograph, taken by photographer Dorothea Lange for the War Relocation Authority, reads: "Hayward, California. Two children of the Mochida family who, with their parents, are awaiting evacuation bus. The youngster on the right holds a sandwich given her by one of a group of women who were present from a local Church. The family unit is kept intact during evacuation and at War Relocation Authority centers where evacuees of Japanese ancestry will be housed for the duration."