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)

Related articles from the Densho Encyclopedia :
Alien land laws, Hood River incident, Kazuo Masuda, Return to West Coast

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1049 items
Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 12
img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 12 "Tobogganing Kiwanis" (ddr-one-1-473)
Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 12 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered outside the Noon Bag Company building. On the side of the building is an advertisement for San Juan Slacks. The float depicts four riders on a toboggan riding down a snowy hill. A young boy sits on the …
Chinese Wedding Celebration (ddr-one-1-237)
img Chinese Wedding Celebration (ddr-one-1-237)
Black and white photographic negative of Fred Lee and Betty Jean (Chinn) Lee's wedding guests outside in front of a fence. On the ground is a dragon costume. An unidentified man is spinning a long pole in front of crowd to the right, several men in the crowd appear to be playing a large drum, gong …
Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-213)
img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-213)
Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers in a partial circle, a crowd encloses the dancers. Obon dancers right to left outer circle: Yoshino Fujii, Tamuro Miura, unidentified, Nobuko Yoshida, and Loretta (Fujii) Kaneko. Obon dancers right to left inner circle: fourth in Jimmy Yoshida, Patricia “Pat” (Ikata) Iboshi, Joe Shiraishi, and Yoneko (Aono) Sugimura. …
Valentine's Day potluck at Oregon Buddhist Church (ddr-one-1-56)
img Valentine's Day potluck at Oregon Buddhist Church (ddr-one-1-56)
Color slide of two men sitting at table inside the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) at a Valentine's day potluck celebration. From left to right: Jack Yasutome and Jack Ouchida.
Sorelles Beach Outing (ddr-one-1-395)
img Sorelles Beach Outing (ddr-one-1-395)
Black and white photographic negative of Tom Fujii (left) and Shig Tada (right) sitting on Yoji Kiso at the Oregon Coast at a beach outing planned by the Sorrelles (a high school social group). Aki (Shiraishi) Dong is laying in the sand next to Yoji Kiso.
Obon Festival Dance Rehearsal (ddr-one-1-316)
img Obon Festival Dance Rehearsal (ddr-one-1-316)
Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers rehearsing an Odori folk dance inside Norse Hall in Northeast Portland. Dancers from left to right: Betty Nakashimada, Aki (Shiraishi) Dong, Mabel (Maekawa) Ota, Carol (Takeda) Smith, unidentified, Tomi Tsujimura, Susan Shizuko (Yoshida) Kurimoto. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as …
Oregon Buddhist Church Annual Lotus Bazaar- Card Darts (ddr-one-1-109)
img Oregon Buddhist Church Annual Lotus Bazaar- Card Darts (ddr-one-1-109)
Black and white photographic negative of young boys gathered around a card dart booth at the Oregon Buddhist Church's Annual Lotus Bazaar. Man running game on the right side is identified as Harry Nakamura. The Oregon Buddhist Church is now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple. For print please see ONLC 4944 (ddr-one-1-715).
Sorelles Beach Outing (ddr-one-1-396)
img Sorelles Beach Outing (ddr-one-1-396)
Black and white photographic negative of four Nisei burying Aki (Shiraishi) Dong in the sand at a beach outing planned by the Sorrelles (a high school social group). From left to right: Shig Tada, Yoji Kiso, Sumi "Sue" (Kaga) Hasegawa and Tom Fujii.
Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 18
img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 18 "Barrians" (ddr-one-1-491)
Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 18 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 five women in gowns sitting on top waving at the crowd, one man is …
Obon Festival- Dancers (ddr-one-1-266)
img Obon Festival- Dancers (ddr-one-1-266)
Black and white photographic negative of four Obon dancers smiling for the camera. From left to right: Kathleen "Kathie" Haruko (Matsuda) Sato, Ruth Saito, Susanne Mineko (Sasaki) Myers, and Grace (Tachibana) Ishikawa. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) and attended by the wider Nikkei community.
Northwest Methodist Rally Portland (ddr-one-1-321)
img Northwest Methodist Rally Portland (ddr-one-1-321)
Black and white photographic negative of the attendees of the Northwest Methodist Rally in Portland on November 23-25, 1951. The group is posed in front of the old Epworth Methodist Church building. Front row left to right starting third from left: Rupert Fujii, Shig Tada, and Reverend Francis Hayashi, other unidentified. Second row left to right: …
Laying at the Oregon Coast (ddr-one-1-55)
img Laying at the Oregon Coast (ddr-one-1-55)
Color slide of two women laying on a towel at the Oregon Coast. On the left is May (Ebihara) Gelfand.
Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet- Kitchen (ddr-one-1-429)
img Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet- Kitchen (ddr-one-1-429)
Black and white photographic negative of three women and one girl in the kitchen of the Seattle Buddhist Church. Woman on right identified as Kiyo Harada.
Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet (ddr-one-1-416)
img Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet (ddr-one-1-416)
Black and white photographic negative of guests at the Northwest Buddhist Convention banquet dinner in the basement of the Seattle Buddhist Church. Standing is Ted "Tetsuo" Tamaki talking to Kiku (Fujita) Morita.
Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 26
img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 26 "Junior Court" (ddr-one-1-150)
Color slide of Portland Rose Festival Parade float 26 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered in front of Shoreline Hotel on the corner of NW Second Ave and W Burnside. The float carries the Rose Festival Junior Court. The court is riding on a carriage made of yellow flowers that is lead …
Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 34
img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 34 "Hawthorne Boosters" (ddr-one-1-166)
Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 34 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Shoreline Hotel. The float has a small carousel made of flowers with two women riding on carousel horses. Two additional women ride sitting on the front of the float. A man in a blue uniform and black …
Portland Rose Festival Parade- Float 43
img Portland Rose Festival Parade- Float 43 "Happy Elves" (ddr-one-1-458)
Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 43 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered outside the Shoreline Hotel, Anchor Inn, and Sailors Union of the Pacific. The float is of a green and pink bloomed flower with three riders sitting on top of the float dressed as elves in teal costumes, waving …
Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-65)
img Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-65)
Color slide of two women in kimonos or yukatas, outside performing Odori (traditional Japanese folk dance) at night. From left to right: Grace (Tachibana) Ishikawa and Ruth Saito.
Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-51)
img Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-51)
Color slide of two women in kimonos or yukatas, outside performing a Odori (a Japanese folk dance) at night. Woman on left identified as Ruth Saito.
Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 47
img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 47 "Neptune's daughters" (ddr-one-1-507)
Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 47 being pulled by a cream color convertible with white wall tires in front of a crowd in front of a Signal gas station and San Francisco Tailor on SW Third Ave. The float reads "Marine day tomorrow" and "Neptune's daughters." A small yellow sign is visible above "Neptune's …
Obon Festival Dance Rehearsal (ddr-one-1-307)
img Obon Festival Dance Rehearsal (ddr-one-1-307)
Black and white photographic negative of small audience watching the Obon dance rehearsal inside Norse Hall in Northeast Portland. Spectators can be seen in balcony. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) and attended by the wider Nikkei community.
Portland Rose Festival Parade Float-
img Portland Rose Festival Parade Float- "Cosmo-Carnival" (ddr-one-1-138)
Color slide of a Rose Festival Parade float driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Shoreline Hotel on the corner of NW 2nd Ave and W Burnside. Signs for the Blue Eagle Cafe, Dr. Geo Chan, Chinese Medicine Company and Drugs visible in the background along W Burnside between NW 2nd and …
Northwest Methodist Rally Portland (ddr-one-1-319)
img Northwest Methodist Rally Portland (ddr-one-1-319)
Black and white group photographic negative of the attendees of the Northwest Methodist Rally in Portland on November 23-25, 1951. Inscription on negative reads "Northwest Methodist Rally Portland Nov. 23-25, 1951." The group is posed in front of old Epworth Methodist Church building. Front row left to right starting third from left: Rupert Fujii, Shig Tada, …
Reed College (ddr-one-1-366)
img Reed College (ddr-one-1-366)
Black and white photographic print of Ayame Ogimi playing ukulele for two unidentified friends in her dorm room at Reed College. Negative ONLC 3186 (ddr-one-1-368).
Reed College (ddr-one-1-368)
img Reed College (ddr-one-1-368)
Black and white photographic negative of Ayame Ogimi playing ukulele for two unidentified friends in her dorm room at Reed College. Original print ONLC 3184 (ddr-one-1-366)
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