Returning home

When the camps closed, Japanese Americans were handed $25 and put on trains headed for the places they had been forcibly removed from nearly four years earlier. Harassment was common -- many returning Japanese Americans were greeted with signs reading "No Japs Allowed." Other discovered their property had been vandalized or stolen. Homes and businesses that had been boarded up or left in the care of others were abandoned and stripped of furnishings and goods. For the majority, who did not have homes to return to, housing was the most serious problem. Housing discrimination was severe in many areas and persisted to varying degrees until the civil rights legislation of the 1960s. Former camp inmates with no other options moved into hostels and converted community institutions with conditions not much better than the camps they had just left. Although this period was stressful, it is remembered as a time when people came together to share what they had.

World War II (231)
Leaving camp (287)
Returning home (1049)

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1049 items

img Obon Festival- Dancers (ddr-one-1-293)

Black and white photographic negative of two Obon dancers holding "uchiwa" (fan) and smiling for the camera indoors. From left to right: Kuni Kitayama and Chiyoko Yoshihara. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) and attended by the wider Nikkei community.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-293/

img Obon Festival- Dancer (ddr-one-1-234)

Black and white photographic negative of Harue Akiyama, the Obon dance instructor, posing for camera wearing straw hat. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) and attended by the wider Nikkei community. This image was taken at Holladay Park in Portland, Oregon.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-234/

img Nisei at Epworth United Methodist Church (ddr-one-1-337)

Black and white photographic negative of about ten Nisei at Epworth United Methodist Church in Portland, Oregon. The Nisei are gathered around a table looking at a leaflet together. Standing on the far right side of the table holding a leaflet up is Miriam (Koyama) Kiso. Back row from left to right: Toyse "Toy" Miura and …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-337/

img Nisei (ddr-one-1-299)

Black and white photographic negative of nine Nisei smiling for the camera indoors. Women from left to right: all unidentified except fifth from the left, Irene (Fujii) Mano. Men back row left to right: unidentified, Yoichi “Cannon” Kitayama, and Shorty Kaga. Man in front: Ned Maeda.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-299/

img Sorelles Group Photo (ddr-one-1-13)

Original black and white photographic print of the Sorelles, a high school social group. Back Row (left to right): Elsie Okazaki, Beti ann (Minamoto) Wantroba, Jean Matsumoto, Lillian (Niimi) Mikariya, Rose Haruye (Muramatsu) Ouchida, Kathleen “Kathie” Haruko (Matsuda) Sato, Frances (Kinoshita) Mayeda, Grace Mieko (Muramatsu) Ouchida, and Mitsy (Kiyomura) Takeoka. Third Row: Nami (Miura) Koida, Miriam …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-13/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- Margaret Whiting and Marching Band (ddr-one-1-173)

Color slide of a car with a female passenger in a fur coat and sign reading "Margaret Whiting". The car is followed by a marching band in green uniforms and three baton twirlers in white uniforms marching the Portland Rose Festival Parade. They are traveling down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Riverfront …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-173/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-291)

Black and white photographic negative of Patricia “Pat” (Ikata) Iboshi dancing an Odori folk dance at Obon. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) and attended by the wider Nikkei community..

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-291/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-277)

Black and white photographic negative of two lines of Obon dancers performing an Odori folk dance. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) and attended by the wider Nikkei community.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-277/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 9 "Central Labor Council" (ddr-one-1-500)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 9 driving down SW Third Ave in front of a large crowd gathered outside a Signal gas station and San Francisco Tailor, behind the Signal gas station is the old Multnomah Hotel. The float has eight visible women in gowns sitting around the float. Two men in dark suits …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-500/

img YBA Tacoma Baseball Team (ddr-one-1-28)

Black and white photographic negative of a Japanese American baseball team in uniforms that read "YBA". The team has been identified as from Tacoma, Washington. First from the right in the front row: Ted Taniguchi, First from the right in the back row: Stogie Kawabata.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-28/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 6 "Nursery Land" (ddr-one-1-479)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 6 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered outside Bekins Storage, a sign for Edwards Furniture is visible in background. On the float is large numbered letter blocks and a teddy bear. Women sit on the corners of the float, one waving a red ribbon. A …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-479/

img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-376)

Black and white photographic negative of Nisei playing cards at a community picnic at Viking Park hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). From left to right: Alfred Tsutomu Ando, and Rose Haruye (Muramatsu) Ouchida.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-376/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 29 "Paul Bunyan and Babe" (ddr-one-1-518)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 29 driving down SW Third Ave in front of a large crowd gathered outside a Signal gas station and San Francisco Tailor, behind the Signal gas station is the old Multnomah Hotel. The float has a large flower depiction of Paul Bunyan and his ox Babe. Three women dressed …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-518/

img Oregon Buddhist Church Annual Lotus Bazaar- Refreshments Table (ddr-one-1-106)

Black and white photographic negative of the Oregon Buddhist Church's Annual Lotus Bazaar Refreshments Table. Toyse "Toy" Miura and Phyllis Midori (Ando) Muramatsu are running the refreshments table. Behind them are stacks of empty soda bottles. The Oregon Buddhist Church is now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-106/

img Obon Festival- Mayoral speech (ddr-one-1-206)

Black and white photographic negative of Portland Mayor Dorothy McCullough Lee giving a speech at the Portland Obon festival while dancers and spectators watch. Photographers are taking pictures near the podium. Man behind stairs leading up to the podium is Matsutaro Muramatsu. Woman on right edge of image behind a photographer is Mitsy (Kiyomura) Takeoka. A …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-206/

img Obon folk musicians (ddr-one-1-111)

Black and white photographic negative of four unidentified men playing traditional Japanese instruments at the Obon Festival in front a microphone. All are dressed in happi coats and have tenugui (light cotton towel) headbands. Sitting behind the sound system is Henry Matsunaga. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-111/

img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-383)

Black and white photographic negative of a group of Nisei men sitting on the ground chatting at a community picnic at Viking Park hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). Facing the camera from left to right: Alfred Tsutomu Ando and Roy Otsuki. Jean Matsumoto is kneeling behind Alfred Tsutomu …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-383/

img Adelphons Group Photo (ddr-one-1-1)

Original black and white photographic print of the Adelphons, a young women's service group of the Portland Chapter of the Japanese American Citizen's League, in formal attire. Back Row (left to right): Sumiko “Sue” (Kawasaki) Fujino, unidentified, Minnie (Oyama) Abe, Ochiyo (Nishioka) Hasuike, unidentified, Mary (Furusho) Iwasaki, Tamae "Butch" Yamamoto, Kathryn (Kawata) Niita, Irene (Kawata) Nakagawa, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-1/

img Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet (ddr-one-1-419)

Black and white photographic negative of six women preparing the Northwest Buddhist Convention banquet dinner in the kitchen of the Seattle Buddhist Church. From left to right: Kiyo (Ishikawa) Harada, May Matsumoto, Noriko (Ichikawa) Kurashige, Betty Kurimoto Yamasaki, and Irene (Yamauchi) Tatsuta.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-419/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 14 "To the Ball Game" (ddr-one-1-546)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 14 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Blue Eagle Café on the corner of NW Second Ave. The float is of a streetcar decorated in white, yellow and purple flowers. A conductor drives the streetcar while passengers sit inside the streetcar. The front of …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-546/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 43 "The Ugly Duckling" (ddr-one-1-509)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 43 driving down SW Third Ave in front of a large crowd gathered outside a Signal gas station and San Francisco Tailor, behind the Signal gas station is the old Multnomah Hotel. The float is made of blue flowers and has a small black cygnet in front of a …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-509/

img Wedding of Sam Sakamoto and Hanaye (Fujiwara) Sakamoto (ddr-one-1-32)

Original black and white photographic print of Bride and Groom, Hanaye (Fujiwara) Sakamoto and Sam Sakamoto, in front of the alter standing at an angle to the camera.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-32/

img Reed College (ddr-one-1-355)

Black and white photographic negative of siblings Carlos Ogimi and Ayame Ogimi at Reed College, where they both attended school.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-355/

img Obon Festival- Dancer (ddr-one-1-232)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-232/

img Sorelles Group Photo (ddr-one-1-11)

Original black and white photographic print of the Sorelles, a high school social group. Back Row (left to right): Elsie Okazaki, Anges (Inouye) Kitayama, Atsuko "Alice" Kida, Atsuko “Alice” (Matsumoto) Ando, Nami (Miura) Koida, Kimi Wakabayashi, Grace Mieko (Muramatsu) Ouchida, Masae “Elsie” (Morita) Onishi, and Betty Nakashimada. Middle Row (left to right): Rose Haruye (Muramatsu) Ouchida, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-11/