This exhibition was on view at the National Museum of American History from 1987-2004.
During the opening months of World War II, nearly 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry—two-thirds of them U.S. citizens—were forced by the government to leave their homes and move into detention camps. A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution traced the history of Japanese American confinement from immigration in the late 19th century to court cases and redress that came more than 40 years after the camps closed in 1946. The central theme—the frailty of individual rights balanced with the need for national security in times of international crisis—is relevant in every era.
The original website for this exhibition was retired in 2023 due to incompatibility with current web standards. A view of the previous home page can be seen below. An updated version is in the works! Meanwhile, be sure to visit these resources:
- Object group: Japanese American Incarceration Era Collection
- Online exhibition: Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II
