Managed Casualty investigates the profound effects of World War II-era policies on Japanese-American families, focusing on their forced removal, internment, and eventual release. By centering the analysis on the family unit, the study captures the unique dynamics of cultural resilience, adaptation, and the challenges imposed by administrative policies during one of the most tumultuous periods in Japanese-American history. The research explores how families, integral to Japanese-American community structure, navigated the pressures of displacement while striving to maintain cohesion under government-imposed constraints.

The book meticulously examines the origins of the Japanese family system, the immigrant experience, and the development of ethnic communities in the United States. It contrasts pre-war conditions with the upheavals brought by wartime policies, documenting the adaptations families made to preserve their unity and identity. Drawing on diverse case studies, the work provides a textured understanding of the social, economic, and cultural realities faced by Japanese Americans. By weaving together administrative context and individual experiences, the study offers critical insights into the lasting impacts of this historical period on family structures and the broader Japanese-American community.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1973.