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)

Filters

Facilities

Format

Genre

Usage

Use <Ctrl> or (⌘) keys to select multiple terms

Gallery view
List view

1049 items

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).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-109/

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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-396/

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 …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-491/

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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-266/

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: …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-321/

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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-55/

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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-429/

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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-416/

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 …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-150/

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 …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-166/

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 …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-458/

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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-65/

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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-51/

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 …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-507/

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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-307/

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 …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-138/

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, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-319/

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).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-366/

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)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-368/

img Obon Festival Dance Rehearsal (ddr-one-1-302)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers practicing an Odori folk dance inside Norse Hall in Northeast Portland. Some dancers wear straw hats. Dancers from left to right: unidentified, unidentified, Dennis Kasubuchi, Mr. Tsujimura, unidentified, and Toraichi Kobayashi. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-302/

img Methodist Banquet (ddr-one-1-348)

Black and white photographic negative of a banquet inside a church. Guest are seated in pews around tables. Man standing on far right with tray is Kenji Onishi. Seated at table in foreground facing the camera is: Beti ann (Minamoto) Wantroba, unidentified, and Lew Tomita, looking at Kenji Onishi from foreground table is George Nakata. The …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-348/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 5 (ddr-one-1-551)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 5 driving down W Burnside between Chinese Medicine Co and Blue Eagle Café on NW Second Ave. The float depicts a large fountain made of yellow flowers with pink flowers depicting the water. Four women in yellow and blue dresses sit around the float, one is holding a purple …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-551/

img Lecture (ddr-one-1-329)

An unidentified speaker in front of a seated crowd. Front row far left is Paul Hagiya. Back row left to right: Lillian (Niimi) Mikariya, unidentified, Tats Kumasaka, Jim Ozawa, and unidentified.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-329/

img Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-72)

Color slide of two women posing in kimonos and straw hats at Odori (traditional Japanese folk dance). From left to right: Ruth Saito and Grace (Tachibana) Ishikawa.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-72/

img Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet- Dining Room set-up (ddr-one-1-427)

Black and white photographic negative of two unidentified women setting banquet tables in the basement of the Seattle Buddhist Church for the Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet. Striped flag and a flag with the Wheel of Dharma are visible hanging in the background.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-427/