Concentration camps

The War Relocation Authority (WRA) oversaw construction of ten concentration camps in sparsely populated and isolated areas. Between June and October 1942, Japanese Americans were transferred from the "assembly centers" to the larger camps. Housing approximately 120,000 people, the camps were designed to be self-contained communities, complete with hospitals, post offices, schools, warehouses, and residential areas. The WRA attempted to establish normalcy by setting up newspapers, a degree of self-government, sports leagues, and social events. But confinement, monotony, and harsh conditions exacerbated tensions between pro- and anti-camp administration residents and between the disempowered Issei and their U.S.-born Nisei children. At several centers, conflicts erupted into violence and at the Manzanar concentration camp the unrest resulted in fatal shootings. The WRA gradually granted work and school leave to those they considered "loyal." The last camp closed in March 1946.

World War II (231)
Concentration camps (1434)

Related articles from the Densho Encyclopedia :
Concentration Camps, U.S.A. (book), Gila River, Heart Mountain, Jerome, Manzanar, Minidoka, Poston (Colorado River), Psychological effects of camp, Rohwer, Sites of incarceration, Topaz, Tule Lake

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1434 items
Michi Weglyn, as I recall (ddr-csujad-24-134)
doc Michi Weglyn, as I recall (ddr-csujad-24-134)
An obituary of Michi Weglyn written by William Hohri. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: chi_09_019
Woman and young men (ddr-csujad-26-82)
img Woman and young men (ddr-csujad-26-82)
A Caucasian woman and three young Japanese American men pose in front of a barracks building. From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_019
Tule Lake monograph (ddr-csujad-26-1)
doc Tule Lake monograph (ddr-csujad-26-1)
Unpublished manuscript includes a collection of diary entries, letters, and essays written by school students incarcerated at the Tule Lake camp and collected through the Japanese American Evacuation and Resettlement Study (JERS). The writings include first-person descriptions of travel to the Tule Lake camp, adapting to camp, limitations of camp, day-to-day camp life, family life, community …
Chapter 6 and 7 personality cards (ddr-csujad-26-34)
doc Chapter 6 and 7 personality cards (ddr-csujad-26-34)
Journal entries written by high school students discussing their observations and perspectives on a variety of topics including living in barracks, block noise, lack of privacy, mess hall dining, nosy neighbors, jobs, leisure time, sports, movies, church attendance, the Young Buddhist Association (YBA), family dynamics, social changes, dating, and rumors. Each entry includes the full date …
Cooperatively owned canteen (ddr-csujad-26-130)
img Cooperatively owned canteen (ddr-csujad-26-130)
Photo of people working and shopping inside a canteen. Goods are seen divided by type. Verso reads "cooperatively owned canteen." From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_100
Departure for resettlement in the East (ddr-csujad-26-68)
img Departure for resettlement in the East (ddr-csujad-26-68)
A large crowd of Japanese American incarcerees gather around packed vehicle with trailer. Caption on back of photograph reads, "Departure for resettlement in the East." From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_005
View of the camp showing Castle Rock (ddr-csujad-26-102)
img View of the camp showing Castle Rock (ddr-csujad-26-102)
Photo of camp buildings and road down the middle backed by hilly landscape. Caption on back of photo reads, "View of the camp showing Castle Rock. A Nisei objected to this picture because the daisies in the corner relieve the dusty monotony of the camp." From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the …
Nobie Masaki (ddr-csujad-26-140)
img Nobie Masaki (ddr-csujad-26-140)
Photo of a young Japanese American woman posing in front of a barracks buildings. Handwriting on the photo reads, "Dear Mrs. Billigmeier, Always, Nobie Masaki." From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_110
Population and ecology (ddr-csujad-26-24)
doc Population and ecology (ddr-csujad-26-24)
Comparison of Tule Lake incarceree population statistics collected by the Division of Housing and Employment to the 1940 US Census statistics of Japanese Americans from California, Oregon and Washington. Examines how expelled communities disbursed at Tule Lake via housing records, age and gender distribution, religious affiliation, and the number of births at Tule Lake up to …
Wedding of Oliver Noji [and Kiyo Aiura] (ddr-csujad-26-118)
img Wedding of Oliver Noji [and Kiyo Aiura] (ddr-csujad-26-118)
Oliver Noji marries Kiyo Aiura at Tule Lake. Caption on back of photo reads, " Wedding of Oliver Noji (architecture). The bride is radiant, Oliver looks anxious, as well he might - look whose shoes he has to fill." From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization …
Landscape with barracks building (ddr-csujad-26-121)
img Landscape with barracks building (ddr-csujad-26-121)
Photo of the desert landscape with a portion of a barracks building. Leftover wood crates are stacked next to the building while the camp border fence can be sen in the distance. From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_090
Visiting newspaper men interview the charming Mrs. Murayama (ddr-csujad-26-126)
img Visiting newspaper men interview the charming Mrs. Murayama (ddr-csujad-26-126)
Photo shows a woman, Mrs. Murayama, being photographed while holding an object for a man. Verso reads, "visiting newspaper men interview the charming Mrs. Murayama - but what the editors did to their stories." From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_095
People posing in snow (ddr-csujad-26-122)
img People posing in snow (ddr-csujad-26-122)
Photo of three Japanese Americans and four Caucasian people, including Robert Billigmeier, posing with snowballs and a dog. Related photo in sequence ucsb_mei_0070. From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_091
Camp buildings with dust cloud (ddr-csujad-26-69)
img Camp buildings with dust cloud (ddr-csujad-26-69)
Camp barracks buildings line a road with dust cloud. People can be seen in front of the buildings in distance. From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_006
People gathering around a vehicle covered in baggage (ddr-csujad-26-91)
img People gathering around a vehicle covered in baggage (ddr-csujad-26-91)
Group of people, including men with bicycles, gather around a vehicle with baggage tied to the roof. From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_028
Young women (ddr-csujad-26-123)
img Young women (ddr-csujad-26-123)
A group of young Japanese American women poses with a Caucasian woman in front of a barracks building. From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_092
Japanese couple (ddr-csujad-26-124)
img Japanese couple (ddr-csujad-26-124)
Photo of a Japanese American couple wearing crucifix pins pose outdoors. A crowd is in the background. From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_093
Nursery school (ddr-csujad-26-97)
img Nursery school (ddr-csujad-26-97)
Children and teacher raising hands in a nursery school classroom. Caption on back of photograph reads, "Nursery school." From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_034
Outline of University of California study of evacuation and resettlement (ddr-csujad-26-2)
doc Outline of University of California study of evacuation and resettlement (ddr-csujad-26-2)
Outline for an academic social science study, the Japanese American Evacuation and Resettlement Study (JERS), led by the University of California of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Outline highlights area of administrative, social, political and personal areas to be studied by a team of researchers encamped with incarcerees. See this object in …
Fashion show (ddr-csujad-26-127)
img Fashion show (ddr-csujad-26-127)
Two Japanese American women pose in front of an audience during a fashion show. Verso reads, "a fashion show." From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_096
Farm [farm workers loading truck] (ddr-csujad-26-72)
img Farm [farm workers loading truck] (ddr-csujad-26-72)
Three workers smile at the camera while loading a truck. Caption on back of photograph reads, "The farm." From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_009
Group photo in front of barracks (ddr-csujad-26-136)
img Group photo in front of barracks (ddr-csujad-26-136)
Three Japanese American women and one man pose together in front of a barracks building. An automobile and additional barracks can be seen in the background. From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_106
Barracks row (ddr-csujad-26-86)
img Barracks row (ddr-csujad-26-86)
A man walks toward a row of barracks lining a dusty road. From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_023
People on hillside viewing camp (ddr-csujad-26-73)
img People on hillside viewing camp (ddr-csujad-26-73)
Photo of people standing along a hillside overlooking camp. From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_010
Women gather next to bus (ddr-csujad-26-74)
img Women gather next to bus (ddr-csujad-26-74)
Women gather next to a packed bus with people inside possibly for "resettlement." From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_011
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