Easily one of the most often overlooked topics within the spectrum of the Second World War is that of Japanese internment. Consequently, it often proves challenging for students to find plentiful sources, especially reference sources, that effectively discuss and analyze this dark chapter in American history. Looking to fill this rather cavernous void in scholarship is Gary Okihiro’s Encyclopedia of Japanese Internment.

Entries are organized alphabetically, covering a broad range of topics. Expected topics, like Executive Order 9066, War Relocation Authority, and Loyalty Questionnaire, are nicely balanced along with lesser known topics, like the Munson Report, MAGIC Intercepts, and the Hood River Incident. Ranging in length from one to three pages, each entry concludes with a list of cited references. A detailed chronology of major events in American history is included in the preface, with the intent to “show the connections and commonalities among Asian Americans and other peoples of color in U.S. history” (xxxiii).

The inclusion of numerous primary source documents and a selected bibliography spanning nearly seven pages are two of this book’s biggest strengths. Among the primary documents are selections of memoirs and letters written by detained Japanese Americans while inside the camps, which provide both valuable and riveting firsthand accounts into the experiences of those detained. Additionally, a plethora of citations for further research into Japanese American internment can be found in the selected bibliography. The inclusion of a lengthy bibliography makes this resource especially useful for history students in an academic setting, as it allows for easy exploration of sources in addition to the encyclopedia.

Wendy Ng’s Japanese American Internment During World War II: A History and Reference Guide (Greenwood Press, 2002) takes a more systematic approach to the subject when compared with the Encyclopedia of Japanese American Internment. The chronological, borderline narrative-based structure of Ng’s text is quite different from the more traditional, alphabetical topic entries of the Encyclopedia of Japanese American Interment. As a result, each volume compliments the other quite nicely, and both could easily coexist on the same bookshelf.

Well organized and covering a broad spectrum of topics germane to the subject, this reference work is easy to recommend. The inclusion of a collection of primary source documents and an extensive bibliography, perfect for further and more in-depth exploration, make this a near essential resource. Academic libraries would be hard pressed to find a better reference source on this often overlooked topic.