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 Indoor Carnival Fundraiser- Bingo (ddr-one-1-86)

Black and white photographic negative of an indoor carnival fundraiser possibly hosted by the Sorelles or Adelphons (Japanese American young women's groups). Prizes laid out in foreground surrounded by bingo players. Background has other games with players out front including: Penny Pitch, Balloon Darts, and Nickel Toss. Bingo players from left to right: Mieko Fujita, Shiz …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-86/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-228)

Black and white photographic negative of five Obon dancers performing in front of a crowd that is partially enclosing them. Dancers from left to right: Joe Shiraishi, Harue Akiyama, Jean Yasuko (Kida) Tomita, and Thomas "Tom" Honma. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) and attended …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-228/

img Third Annual Oregon Nisei Bowling League Tournament Dance- Couple seated (ddr-one-1-123)

Black and white photographic negative of couple sitting around a table at the Third Annual Nisei Bowling League Tournament Dance at McElroy's Ballroom in Portland, Oregon. The couple is posing for the camera, a second woman is sitting on the far right. From left to right: Lolita (Leo) Sakamoto Tsujimura, Bob Luck and Doris Chan. Original …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-123/

img Buddhist Convention (ddr-one-1-331)

Black and white photographic negative of members of the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple) at a Buddhist convention at Collin's Field House in Seattle, Washington. Back row left to right: Frances (Kinoshita) Mayeda, Aki (Shiraishi) Dong, Mary (Nakata) Fujii, unidentified, Jean (Tsujimura) Takashima, remaining unidentified. Front row left to right: Sumi …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-331/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 31 "Human Cannon" (ddr-one-1-144)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 31 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Shoreline Hotel and Anchor Inn. The float has four elephants made of yellow flowers on the front sitting in a circle with trunks raised in the air. A cannon made of green flowers is on the back …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-144/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- Pistol Creek Fire Department (ddr-one-1-140)

Color slide of the Pistol Creek Fire Department pushing a small wagon up W Burnside, the Noon Bag Company and White Stag Manufacturing building is visible in the background, two large advertisements are partially visible on the Noon Bag Company building. The firemen are dressed in red long-johns and rubber boots with their fire department name …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-140/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade float- Chamber of Commerce (ddr-one-1-565)

Color slide of the side of the Chamber of Commerce 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 in the Portland Rose Festival Parade. Eight women in pink gowns sit on the float, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-565/

img Nisei Bowling League at Rose City Bowling Alley (ddr-one-1-129)

Black and white photographic negative of Nisei women sitting and standing around a booth at Rose City Bowling Alley. A Nisei women's team is still in uniform. Standing left to right: Kathleen Sasaki, Yoko (Hishikawa) Iwata, Sachi (Nakata) Nakashima, Fumi Inukai, Takako Inukai, unidentified, Jane (Kawamoto) Hinatsu, unidentified. Seated left to right: Toshi (Tamiyasu) Fukuhara, Florence …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-129/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade - "Parkrose" (ddr-one-1-464)

Color slide of a Rose Festival Parade float driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside White Stag Manufacturing. The side of the float reads "Parkrose." Four women sit on top of the float in gowns holding bouquets of flowers. The Portland Rose Festival Parade is an annual event in which floats are made …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-464/

img Reed College (ddr-one-1-362)

Black and white photographic print of Carlos Ogimi and other students sitting at drawing table working on an unknown project. Carlos is the first seated student on the right, everyone else is unidentified. This photographic negative was taken at Reed College where Carlos was a student. Negative ONLC 3182 (ddr-one-1-364).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-362/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 26 "At the end of the rainbow" (ddr-one-1-520)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 26 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 of rainbow coming out of an overturned leprechaun pot with six young women in …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-520/

img Hanamatsuri (birth of Buddha celebration) Odori Performance (ddr-one-1-402)

Black and white photographic negative of an Odori folk dance performance on a stage for Hanamatsuri (birth of Buddha celebration) inside the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). Dancers on stage: second to the right, Shiz (Fujita) Inaba; third to the right, Mary (Nakata) Fujii.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-402/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade float- "Sport of Queens" (ddr-one-1-513)

Color slide of a Rose Festival float 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 "Sport of Queens" written on the side in yellow flowers. The float depicts greyhound racing, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-513/

img Garden dance (ddr-one-1-529)

Color slide taken from the top of a hill behind a crowd watching what appears to part of an event for the Rose Festival. There are eight girls in colorful gowns, and one girl is leading them in a dance in a short white dress. A military band is seated in the background on the left. …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-529/

img Dance (ddr-one-1-102)

Black and white photographic negative of an unidentified couple sitting at a table in semi-formal attire possibly manning the coat check.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-102/

img Nisei in formal dress (ddr-one-1-434)

Black and white photographic negative of four Nisei in formal dress outside. From left to right: Sam “Pompadour Sam” Sasaki, Mieko Fujita, Masako “Massie” (Endo) Hinatsu, and Akiko “Aki” (Endo) Akagi.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-434/

img Yellow Sedan (ddr-one-1-177)

Color slide of a yellow 1950 Studebaker Champion two door sedan with white wall tires and an unknown male driver.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-177/

img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-379)

Black and white photographic negative of a family sitting at a picnic table at a community picnic at Viking Park hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). From left to right: unidentified, Kazuo “Kaz” Ochiai, Tamiyo Ochiai, and Zenzaburo Ochiai.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-379/

img Obon Festival Dance Rehearsal (ddr-one-1-305)

Black and white photographic negative of small audience watching the Obon dance rehearsal inside Norse Hall in Northeast Portland. Fifth from the right standing up in back row of the audience is Larry Tamiyasu. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) and attended by the wider …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-305/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 24 "Big Top" (ddr-one-1-134)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 24 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside W.L. Reid Company Building Hardware Specialties. The float has a circus theme with a clown riding backwards on a donkey made of brown and yellow flowers, with two women dressed in blue sitting on tight ropes, and a …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-134/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade Float (ddr-one-1-460)

Color slide of a Rose Festival Parade float driving down W Burnside in front of the Anchor Inn, Sailors Union of the Pacific, and the Grant Hotel. The float is made of orange and cream flowers, a woman in a pink gown stands under an arbor, and a man dressed as a caveman lays on float …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-460/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- Cowgirl (ddr-one-1-481)

Color slide of a cowgirl on palomino horse. The cowgirl is dressed in a pink riding suit and waving her hat at the camera. Float with a church choir is visible in the background in front of the W.L. Reid Company. The Portland Rose Festival Parade is an annual event in which floats are made out …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-481/

img Reed College (ddr-one-1-365)

Black and white photographic print of Ayame Ogimi playing ukulele for two unidentified friends in her dorm room at Reed College. Negative ONLC 3185 (ddr-one-1-367).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-365/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade Float- "Tight rope or bridge, Portland to Camas" (ddr-one-1-151)

Color slide of a Rose Festival Parade float driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Shoreline Hotel and Anchor Inn. Float depicts the crossing from Portland, Oregon to Camas, Washington with a tightrope walker standing on the Portland side holding a white parasol. Sign above float reads "Tight rope or bridge, Portland …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-151/

img Couple eating dessert (ddr-one-1-432)

Black and white photographic negative of Ruth (Komachi) Muramatsu and George Muramatsu enjoying a dessert at the end of a long table with chairs stacked up on the table.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-432/