The Enemy Alien Files:What is the JPOHP?
The Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project (JPOHP) was formed in 1991 by former Japanese Peruvian internees and their families to preserve the remembrances of those who were forcibly taken from Peru and interned in concentration camps in Panama and the United States during World War II. By documenting these family oral histories, we strive to deepen our understanding of the rich texture of our past—with the hope that such violations of civil and human rights are not repeated by any government during times of peace or war.
The Project goals are:
- to collect and conduct oral histories,
- to educate ourselves and others about the Japanese Peruvian experience during World War II,
- to promote dialogue and interaction among Japanese Peruvians and the broader society in the US, Peru and Japan, and
- to provide information and referral for former Japanese Latin American internees and their families seeking redress.