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
Oregon Buddhist Church 50th Anniversary Celebration Procession (ddr-one-1-52)
img Oregon Buddhist Church 50th Anniversary Celebration Procession (ddr-one-1-52)
Color slide of procession in front of US Customs House in Northwest Portland. Procession led by a color guard of Boy Scouts, carrying the United States flag and the Buddhist flag. Women in kimonos or yukatas follow, then black vehicles with flowers on top, then the Chigo "children's" procession. From left to right: Kenneth "Kenny" Yasutome, …
Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-227)
img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-227)
Black and white photographic negative of two Obon dancers performing in front of crowd. From left to right: Carol (Murahashi) Asakawa, Phyllis Midori (Ando) Muramatsu. 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 …
Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 32
img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 32 "First Prom" (ddr-one-1-530)
Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 32 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Blue Eagle Café on the corner of NW Second Ave. The float has four women standing inside large oversized prom skirts made of flowers. The front of the float reads "PGE" and has a small yellow sign …
Wedding of Sam Sakamoto and Hanaye (Fujiwara) Sakamoto (ddr-one-1-37)
img Wedding of Sam Sakamoto and Hanaye (Fujiwara) Sakamoto (ddr-one-1-37)
Original black and white photographic print of wedding attendants, standing in a receiving line. Left to right: Yoichi "Jack" Nomi, Lilly (Kobayashi) Irinaga, Keso Kuwahara, and Tamaye (Fujiwara) Nomi.
Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 6
img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 6 "Sunday Excursion" (ddr-one-1-547)
Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 6 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd has gathered outside the Chinese Medicine Co building and Dr. Geo Chan's office. The float is that of a large Paddle Steamer made of pink and red flowers. The paddle wheel reads "Pacific Power" on the side. A man …
Portland Rose Festival Parade- Cowboy (ddr-one-1-485)
img Portland Rose Festival Parade- Cowboy (ddr-one-1-485)
Color slide of a Mexican style cowboy riding a black horse down W. Burnside past a crowd gathered on the bridge where NW First Ave runs under the Burnside Bridge. The man is dressed in a black hat and tan and pink suit. Horse looking head on at the camera. The Portland Rose Festival Parade is …
Welding (ddr-one-1-442)
img Welding (ddr-one-1-442)
Color slide of an unidentified man wearing a welding helmet and holding tools. Appears to be working on repairing a piece of machinery. According to donor processed on June 20, 1951.
Indoor Carnival Fundraiser- Bingo (ddr-one-1-87)
img Indoor Carnival Fundraiser- Bingo (ddr-one-1-87)
Black and white photographic negative of an indoor carnival fundraiser possibly hosted by the Sorelles or Adelphons (Japanese American young women's groups). People sitting and playing bingo, watchers stand behind. Sitting left to right: Henry "Wimpy" Kawata, George Kasahara, Terry Mishiro, Diane (Ando) Harder, Minoru "Bob" Ando, unidentified woman, Betty (Hiuga) Nishimura, Tomo Saito, Fumi (Nunotani) …
Frank Hirahara at New Tokyo Bar (ddr-one-1-79)
img Frank Hirahara at New Tokyo Bar (ddr-one-1-79)
Original black and white photographic print of Frank Hirahara and Rose Mae Hara at the New Tokyo Bar in Portland, Oregon. For negative please see ONLC 2856 (ddr-one-1-80).
Dance (ddr-one-1-103)
img Dance (ddr-one-1-103)
Black and white photographic negative of unidentified couples sitting on a long bench along the wall at a dance.
Portland Rose Festival Parade- Hopalong Cassidy (ddr-one-1-555)
img Portland Rose Festival Parade- Hopalong Cassidy (ddr-one-1-555)
Color slide of Hopalong Cassidy in gray pants and a white shirt with red embroidery waves a white cowboy hat at the crowd gathered to watch the Portland Rose Festival Parade. He is riding his large brown horse past Blue Eagle Café on W Burnside and NW Second Ave. The Portland Rose Festival Parade is an …
A Couple in a Grocery Store (ddr-one-1-556)
img A Couple in a Grocery Store (ddr-one-1-556)
Black and white photographic negative of a couple standing behind the counter inside a grocery store. The wall behind them is lined with canned and boxed goods. There is cooler next to the counter filled with fresh vegetables.
Odori costumes (ddr-one-1-63)
img Odori costumes (ddr-one-1-63)
Color slide of three standing women (two posing) in kimonos or yukatas for Odori (traditional Japanese folk dance). From left to right: Mrs. Okayama, Betty Nakashimada, and Mary (Nakata) Fujii.
Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-381)
img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-381)
Black and white photographic negative of a bucket with two watermelons and a crate of empty soda bottles at a community picnic at Viking Park hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). Sitting with their backs to camera are Nobyo Sato and Kathleen "Kathie" Haruko (Matsuda) Sato, sitting facing the …
Reed College (ddr-one-1-353)
img Reed College (ddr-one-1-353)
Black and white photographic negative of Ayame Ogimi leaning against a railing posing for the camera. This photographic negative was taken at Reed College where Ayame was a student.
Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-208)
img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-208)
Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers in front of crowd. Obon dancers inner circle from front to back: Tomi Tsujimura, Shizuko "Shiz" (Ninomiya) Onishi, and Mr. Tsujimura. 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 …
Indoor Carnival Fundraiser- Balloon Darts (ddr-one-1-90)
img Indoor Carnival Fundraiser- Balloon Darts (ddr-one-1-90)
Black and white photographic negative of an indoor carnival fundraiser possibly hosted by the Sorelles or Adelphons (Japanese American young women's groups). Group of men watch an unidentified Issei throw a dart. Identified on the far left hand side is Walt Asakawa, sitting behind the dart thrower is Mr. Murahashi, standing on the far right wearing …
New Tokyo Bar (ddr-one-1-81)
img New Tokyo Bar (ddr-one-1-81)
Black and white photographic negative of two women behind the bar with the bartender at the New Tokyo Bar in Portland, Oregon. From left to right: unidentified, Rose Mae Hara and George Ninomiya.
Rose Test Garden (ddr-one-1-524)
img Rose Test Garden (ddr-one-1-524)
Color slide of the Rose Test Garden in Washington Park. Rows of various types of rose bushes can be seen across the image. Five other visitors can be seen looking at the various rose bushes. According to donor processed on June 14, 1964.
Kenji Onishi sermon (ddr-one-1-94)
img Kenji Onishi sermon (ddr-one-1-94)
Black and white photographic negative of Kenji Onishi standing behind a pulpit reading from a bible at Epworth Methodist Church. Kenji Onishi was a youth leader at Epworth.
Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 11
img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 11 "Hiawatha" (ddr-one-1-498)
Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 11 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 of pink, white and blue flowers making a river and canoe. Inside the canoe are …
Obon Festival- Dancers (ddr-one-1-242)
img Obon Festival- Dancers (ddr-one-1-242)
Black and white photographic negative of six Obon dancers posing for the camera with one arm touching their straw hats. From left to right: Shizuko "Shiz" (Ochiai) Ota Okazaki, Jean (Tsujimura) Takashima, Atsuko "Alice" Kida, Jean Yasuko (Kida) Tomita, Atsuko "Alice" (Matsumoto) Ando, and Eddie Tamiyasu. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist …
Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-287)
img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-287)
Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers in straw hats performing an Odori folk dance. From left to right those facing the camera: Atsuko "Alice" (Matsumoto) Ando and Arthur Ojiro “Art” Sasaki. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) and attended by the wider Nikkei …
Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-230)
img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-230)
Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers performing in front of a crowd. Dancer first from left is Susan Shizuko (Yoshida) Kurimoto. 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, …
Spotted Deer (ddr-one-1-541)
img Spotted Deer (ddr-one-1-541)
Color slide of three spotted bucks and eight spotted does. Two of the bucks stare directly at the camera while the other nine deer eat grass, possibly inside Washington Park. According to donor processed on June 14, 1964.
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