Located just east of the Colorado River, the Poston Post Confinement Camp is a Japanese-American Confinement Site that served as one of ten confinement sites located within the United States. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which involuntarily removed approximately 125,000 Japanese-Americans (who were deemed a threat to national security) from their homes on the West Coast and detained them in one of ten confinement sites spread across the country.

Known as the largest (and first to open) of the ten American confinement sites, the Poston Post Confinement Site (initially known as the Colorado River Relocation Center) was built on the Colorado River Indian Reservation in 1942 and held over 17,000 detainees at its peak population. Over two-thirds of former Poston detainees were American citizens. The construction of the site was strongly opposed by the local Tribal Council, who wanted to avoid inflicting the same agony on Japanese-Americans that they had faced. The council was, however, overruled by the Bureau of Indian Affairs who believed that the project would improve the area’s infrastructure and agriculture. In fact, Poston was one of just two War Relocation Authority confinement sites that were located on Indigenous reservation land. Built by real estate developer, Del Webb, the Poston Post Confinement Site contained three separate confinement sites surrounded by a single fence and spanned approximately 71,000 acres. The first confinement site was built in just a few weeks, with the other two confinement sites constructed by early detainee arrivals.

The Poston Post Confinement Site was comprised of buildings such as an administrative center, residential barracks, a mess hall, hospital, and more. While many of the Poston site’s buildings were removed after the confinement site closed, some buildings are still in use for utility and agricultural purposes. The rushed and poor construction of the original confinement sites combined with severe environmental conditions resulted in illness such as heat exhaustion, dehydration, and diseases such as tuberculosis. As tensions rose due to inadequate living conditions, altercations broke out resulting in community-wide strikes.

Life at the Poston Confinement Site was difficult, with adverse conditions creating illness, instability, and strife for those imprisoned at the confinement site. Those detained at the confinement site were not only made to endure the harsh desert climate of Western Arizona but also faced the numerous hardships throughout their detainment. Although Poston was considered one of the more agriculturally successful War Relocation Authority confinement sites and detainees worked tirelessly to contribute to the operation of the confinement sites, compensation for their work was incredibly low compared to civilian wages earned for the same work. Still, those detained at the confinement site pushed through the adversity unfairly bestowed upon them to build a community characterized by resilience. Former Poston detainees looked past their bleak circumstances and channeled their experience into artistic endeavors, pursuit of leadership roles, and community service. Though these aspects of daily life made conditions somewhat tolerable for detainees, their experience at Poston remained difficult through the end of their time at the confinement site.

Today, the Poston Community Alliance is dedicated to preserving Poston’s historic resources to ensure that the history of former Poston detainees is kept alive. We’re honored to help preserve an important piece of Asian-American history, and we hope you’ll join us as we kick off the season with this noteworthy volunteer opportunity.