The present study sought to examine changes in self identity of Japanese Americans during the internment period of the Second World War. Generation (Issei versus Nisei) and chronological progress of internment (evacuation, internment and relocation were the independent factors. Self-referent phrases, published in internment camp newspapers, were utilized as the indicant of self identity. A total of 999 articles were analyzed, 541 from the English section and 458 from the Japanese section. Log linear model analysis was applied to those self-referent phrases which yielded a fairly high marginal frequency for the presence of a reference. The results were discussed in terms of generational differences and critical points of internment.