▁army - style ▁bar ra cks ▁partition ed ▁into ▁" ap art ments " ▁with ▁walls ▁that ▁usually ▁didn ' t ▁reach ▁the ▁ce iling . ▁These ▁" ap art ments " ▁were , ▁at ▁the ▁largest , ▁ ▁and ▁were ▁expected ▁to ▁house ▁a ▁family ▁of ▁six . ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁the ▁Top az ▁camp ▁aver aged ▁ ▁( rough ly ▁) ▁per ▁person . ▁ ▁Each ▁in mate ▁a te ▁at ▁one ▁of ▁several ▁common ▁mess ▁h alls , ▁assigned ▁by ▁block . ▁At ▁the ▁Army - run ▁cam ps ▁that ▁hous ed ▁diss idents ▁and ▁other ▁" tr ou blem akers ", ▁it ▁was ▁estimated ▁that ▁it ▁cost ▁ 3 8 . 1 9 ▁c ents ▁per ▁day ▁($ ▁in ▁present - day ▁terms ) ▁to ▁feed ▁each ▁person . ▁The ▁W RA ▁spent ▁slightly ▁more , ▁c apping ▁per - person ▁costs ▁to ▁ 5 0 ▁c ents ▁a ▁day ▁($ ▁in ▁present - day ▁terms ) ▁( ag ain , ▁to ▁counter act ▁rum ors ▁of ▁" cod d ling " ▁the ▁in m ates ), ▁but ▁most ▁people ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁supp lement ▁their ▁di ets ▁with ▁food ▁grown ▁in ▁camp . ▁ ▁The ▁W RA ▁allowed ▁Japanese ▁Americans ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁self - g overn ance , ▁with ▁elected ▁in mate ▁leaders ▁working ▁under ▁administration ▁super vis ors ▁to ▁help ▁run ▁the ▁cam ps . ▁This ▁allowed ▁in m ates ▁to ▁keep ▁busy ▁and ▁have ▁some ▁say ▁in ▁their