After President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 in February 1942, the federal government posted signs such as this one in San Francisco, alerting Americans of Japanese descent to prepare for internment.

ID: A white panel that reads “Western Defense Command and Fourth Army Wartime Civil Control Administration. Presidio of San Francisco, California. April 1, 1942. Instructions to all persons of Japanese ancestry living in the following area: All that portion of the City and County of San Francisco, State California, lying generally west of the north-south line established by Junipero Serra Boulevard, Worchester Avenue, and Nineteenth Avenue, and lying generally north of the east-west line established by California Street, to the intersection of Market Street, and thence on Market Street to San Francisco Bay. All Japanese persons, both alien and non-alien, will be evacuated from the above designated area by 12:00 o’clock noon Tuesday, April 7, 1942. No Japanese person will be permitted to enter or leave the above described area after 8:00 a.m., Thursday, April 2, 1942, without obtaining special permission from Provost Marshal at Control Station location: 1701 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California. The Civil Control Station is equipped to assist the Japanese population affected by this evacuation in the following ways: 1. Give advice and instructions on the evacuation. 2. Provide services with respect to the management, leasing, sale, storage, or other disposition of most kinds of property including real estate, business and professional equipment, buildings, household goods, boats, automobiles, livestock, etc. 3. Provide temporary residence elsewhere for all Japanese in family groups. 4. Transport persons and a limited amount of clothing and equipment to their new residence, as specified below. The Following Instructions Must Be Observed: 1. A responsible member of each family, preferably the head of the family, or the person in whose name most of the property is held, and each individual living alone, will report to the Civil Control Station to receive further instructions. This must be done between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Thursday, April 2, 1942, or between 8:00 a.m., and 5:00 p.m., Friday, April 3, 1942.”