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- 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, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-230/

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.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-541/

img Dance (ddr-one-1-104)

Black and white photographic negative of unidentified couples sitting along a wall at a dance. Second person sitting on the bench from the left is Ruby (Takashima) Sumino, two from her is James "Jim" Kasuo "Kaz" Tsujimura.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-104/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-289)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers performing an Odori folk dance at Obon. From left to right: Jean Yasuko (Kida) Tomita, Nami (Miura) Koida, Beti ann (Minamoto) Wantroba, unidentified, Yachiyo Morita, and Sakae Kobayashi. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) and attended by …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-289/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 51 "Restaurant Assoc." (ddr-one-1-154)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 51 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Shoreline Hotel and Cafe. The Blue Eagle Cafe is visible in the background of W Burnside and NW Second Ave. Float depicts a giant hotdog with a clown riding on top, two waitresses ride in front, one …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-154/

img Obon Festival- Dancers (ddr-one-1-229)

Black and white photographic negative of three Obon dancers posing for the camera. From left to right: Grace Mieko (Muramatsu) Ouchida, Kathleen “Kathie” Haruko (Matsuda) Sato, and Rose Haruye (Muramatsu) Ouchida. 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 …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-229/

img Sorelles Group Photo (ddr-one-1-19)

Original black and white photographic print of the Sorelles, a high school social group. Left to right: Rose Haruye (Muramatsu) Ouchida, Kathleen "Kathie" Haruko (Matsuda) Sato, Aki (Shiraishi) Dong, Loretta (Fujii) Kaneko, Mary (Nakata) Fujii, Frances (Kinoshita) Mayeda, Grace (Sakano) Robbs, Sumi "Sue" (Kaga) Hasegawa, Lillian (Niimi) Mikariya, Masae “Elsie” (Morita) Onishi, Rose Namba, Jayne (Katada) …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-19/

img Dance (ddr-one-1-98)

Black and white photographic negative of two unidentified couples dancing together at an informal dance, possibly a Sorelles (a high school social group) event.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-98/

img Garden speech (ddr-one-1-527)

Color slide of 1951 Rose Festival Queen Gloria Krieger dressed in a white skirt, jacket and hat. She stands in front of a man in a white suit and two young girls in purple costumes. Forming an aisle are young women dressed in peach colored dresses, behind them stand men in white suits with various colored …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-527/

img Obon Festival- Dancers (ddr-one-1-239)

Black and white photographic negative of six Obon dancers posing for the camera with arms outstretched wearing 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 Church …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-239/

img Sorelles Group Photo (ddr-one-1-18)

Black and white photographic negative of the Sorelles, a high school social group. Left to right: Grace (Ebihara) Akiyama, Betty Nakashimada, Jean Yasuko (Kida) Tomita, Nami (Miura) Koida, Masae “Elsie” (Morita) Onishi, Beti ann (Minamoto) Wantroba, Mitsy (Kiyomura) Takeoka, Betty Ishida, Elsie Okazaki, Agnes (Inouye) Kitayama, Atsuko "Alice" Kida, Astuko "Alice" (Matsumoto) Ando, Jean Matsumoto, and …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-18/

img Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet- Kitchen (ddr-one-1-425)

Black and white photographic negative of women plating food in the kitchen of the Seattle Buddhist Church for the Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet. Behind the stove from right to left: Irene (Yamaguchi) Tatsuta, Betty Kurimoto Yamasaki, and Noriko (Ichikawa) Kurashige.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-425/

img Flowers (ddr-one-1-440)

Color slide of yellow Oregon sunshine (wooly) sunflowers. According to donor processed on June 20, 1951.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-440/

img Methodist Banquet (ddr-one-1-343)

Black and white photographic negative of a formal banquet, an unidentified white man is standing at the center of the table, possibly giving a speech or toast. Sitting at the far head of the table is Reverend Francis Hayashi. This may have been a banquet in relation to the Northwest Methodist Rally.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-343/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 39 "Neptune's Court" (ddr-one-1-511)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 39 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 four female riders sitting with only their torsos exposed. Their legs are covered by …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-511/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 19 "Newberg" (ddr-one-1-471)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 19 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. Five women ride on the float; one sitting on a large replica of a watermelon slice. The side of …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-471/

img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-373)

Black and white photographic negative of four women sitting at a picnic table eating with chopsticks at a community picnic at Viking Park hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). From left to right: Frances (Kinoshita) Mayeda, Sumi "Sue" (Kaga) Hasegawa, Mrs. Kiyomura, and Jean (Kiyomura) Tamiyasu.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-373/

img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-375)

Black and white photographic negative of young families sitting at a picnic table enjoying a community picnic at Viking Park hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). From left to right is Yoshi Hasuike, Sachi Hasuike, Sachi Hasuike's daughter, Mrs. Jim Hasuike, Jim Hasuike's sons, and Jim Hasuike.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-375/

img A Man at a Food Counter (ddr-one-1-561)

Black and white photographic negative of a man standing behind a counter. The man leans against the counter with a staircase behind him. In the background under the staircase are crates of empty soda bottles.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-561/

img Bridal Party of Wong/Okazaki wedding (ddr-one-1-130)

Original black and white photographic print of Lillian (Wong) Okazaki's bridal party preparing her veil. Bridesmaids left to right: Christine Quan, Dorothy Moe, May (Wong) Oka, and Violet (Wong) Yee.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-130/

img Picnic (ddr-one-1-59)

Color slide of women sitting at a table eating with chopsticks. From left to right: Mitsy (Kiyomura) Takeoka, Sumi "Sue" (Kaga) Hasegawa, Mrs. Kiyomura, and Jean (Kiyomura) Tamiyasu.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-59/

img Methodist Banquet (ddr-one-1-347)

Black and white photographic negative of banquet inside a church, view of the head table with George Azumano sitting at the head. From left to right: Reverend Hideo Hashimoto, unidentified, and Reverend Paul Hagiya. Sitting at table in foreground staring at her plate is Yone (Kanada) Terada. Poster on side wall reads: "Sing aling: Oh Conference …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-347/

img Obon Festival (ddr-one-1-276)

Black and white photographic negative of two men sitting and looking beyond the camera, Obon dancers perform behind. Man on the right identified as Mr. Akiyama. 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-1-276/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- Float 33 (ddr-one-1-139)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 33 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered outside the Shoreline Hotel, Anchor Inn, Grant Hotel and Sailor's Union of the Pacific. The float is of large elephant and baby, with a rider in blue sitting on the large elephant's trunk waving a purple ribbon. The …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-139/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-182)

Black and white photographic negative of five Obon dancers in front of a crowd. Third dancer from the left is Jean (Tsujimura) Takashima. 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, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-182/