Minidoka National Historic Site

The Minidoka War Relocation Center operated from 1942 to 1945 as one of ten camps at which Japanese Americans were interned during World War II. The internment was carried out under provisions of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066, which excluded all persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast of the United States. At its peak, Minidoka housed 9,397 Japanese Americans, most of whom were citizens or resident aliens. The internees were forced to leave their homes and businesses on short notice and were given only what they could carry with them. They were housed in tar paper barracks with no plumbing or insulation and were required to perform manual labor. Despite the difficult conditions, the internees worked to maintain their dignity and community. After the war, most of the Japanese Americans who had been interned at Minidoka resettled on the West Coast. Today, the National Historic Site preserves the story of their experiences during World War II.