On February 19, 1942, shortly after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and United States entry into WWII, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, calling for the exclusion of all civilians of Japanese descent from "designated military areas." More than 9,000 Japanese and Japanese American people living in the Pacific Northwest were forced into incarceration camps in Idaho and California until 1945.

Very short notice was given before Japanese and Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their communities, which compelled them to settle affairs quickly. This photo shows a store owned by a Japanese American advertising steep discounts in an attempt to sell off as much inventory as possible before forced removal.

Signs in image: Sacrificed! Evacuation Sale - As Low As 50% Off. China-Ware 1/2 Price.

Handwritten on negative: Jap evacuation.

Date photograph was filed at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (date of photograph and file date may differ by a month or more): May 15, 1942.