Day 96: Poston Relocation Center, La Paz County, Arizona
📌APIA Every Day (96) - The Poston Internment Camp, situated in La Paz County, southwestern Arizona, stands as the largest of the ten American concentration camps in terms of area, sprawling across 71,000 acres of desert. Positioned within the Colorado River Native American Reservation, its establishment was contested by the Tribal Council, who vehemently opposed repeating the injustices inflicted upon their own tribe. Despite objections, three separate camps—Roasten, Toastin, and Dustin—were erected in close proximity, reflecting the harsh desert landscape and the nearby Colorado River.
At its peak, Poston hosted over 17,000 internees, primarily from Southern California, making it the third largest "city" in Arizona at the time. Additionally, the camp held people from Arizona, Oregon, and Washington. The Salinas, Santa Anita, and Pinedale Assembly Centers in California, as well as the Mayer Assembly Center in Arizona, sent their populations to Poston. Named after Charles Debrille Poston, a figure instrumental in the establishment of the Colorado River Reservation in 1865, the camp incarcerated thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II.
Initially designated as the Parker Dam Reception Center upon partial opening on May 8, Poston served as one of two sites supplementing the temporary "assembly centers," where Japanese Americans awaited transfer to more permanent War Relocation Authority (WRA) camps. Despite the remote location, guarded by a single fence, Poston's isolation subjected those incarcerated to harsh conditions. The hurried construction and scarce resources led to horrible living conditions, exacerbated by extreme desert weather. Disease outbreaks, specifically tuberculosis, plagued the camp, intensified by inadequate medical care. Tensions simmered due to these living conditions, evident in the November 1942 incident when violence and strikes occurred.
When the camp closed in November 1945, many Japanese Americans faced continued hardship due to a lack of funds and housing, as the land reverted to the Colorado River Native American Tribes. In 1992, the Poston Memorial Monument was constructed in memory of those who were incarcerated at the camp. Spearheaded by survivors and their families, the monument stands as a reminder of the Japanese American struggle in the U.S. during World War II.
LEARN MORE:
Densho Encyclopedia: Poston (Colorado River)
Passing Poston: An American Story
HMDB: Poston Memorial Monument
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