Archivists began collecting materials in the Americans of Japanese Ancestry Veterans Collection Reference Files in the late 1990s as part of the Spark Matsunaga “artificial files.” In December 2004, the files were transferred from the Hawaii Congressional Papers Collection to the Japanese American Veterans Collection, where they serve as the core of the Reference Files. Archives staff members continue to add to the compilation on an ongoing basis. For a time this included printing information for websites related to Japanese American veterans, but as of 2023 the practice has been to instead save such materials as pdfs in a separate "JAVC Digital Reference Files" collection. The Reference Files serve as a ready reference tool for general information about Japanese American veterans and related issues.

The Reference Files are arranged into a single series and consist chiefly of clippings, handouts, and computer printouts concerning Japanese American veterans and related subjects. Materials have been grouped according to subject and are filed in alphabetical order. Notable subjects include: 100th Infantry Battalion; 100th Veterans Club; 442nd Veterans Club; Awards, Memorials, and Honors; Congressional Medal of Honor; Go For Broke Memorial, Los Angeles; Japanese American Internment; Japanese American Films; Military Intelligence Service; Museums and Exhibits; National Japanese American Memorial, Washington DC; Obituaries; University of Hawaii; and Varsity Victory Volunteers.

The Reference Files also include files on organizations such as the Go For Broke Educational Foundation, Japanese American National Museum, Military Intelligence Service Research Center, the Japanese American Veterans Association, and the National Japanese American Historical Society. Also included are files containing information on projects such as Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project, and the Library of Congress’s Veterans History Project. Bibliographies, unit histories, timelines, and lists of clippings are also included.