Living conditions

All of the camps were constructed according to the War Department's specifications, which included barbed-wire fences, guard towers, and armed guards around the perimeter. The camps were organized in "blocks" consisting of twelve to fourteen barracks, a mess hall, communal showers and toilets, laundry facilities, and a recreation hall. Each barracks was divided into four or six rooms with each room housing one family, no matter how large, and there was no running water. The furnishings that Japanese Americans found on their arrival were canvas cots, a potbellied stove, and a single bare light bulb. The thin walls offered little protection from the harsh weather, which ranged from 110 degrees in the summer to 25 degrees below zero on winter nights. The flimsy construction allowed no privacy and made normal family life difficult. Camp inmates improved their own living conditions by creating interior walls and partitions, constructing furniture from scrap lumber, and planting gardens.

World War II (231)
Concentration camps (1434)
Living conditions (1751)

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1751 items

img Artist completing a watercolor at Granada incarceration camp (ddr-csujad-14-49)

Artist completing a watercolor at Granada incarceration camp. Photo by Tom Parker. December 13, 1942. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMLSC_TOMO_f14

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-14-49/

img Momoyo Yamamoto, former farm worker in Fresno County (ddr-csujad-14-1)

Momoyo Yamamoto, former farm worker in Fresno County, harvesting spinach at Gila River incarceration camp. November 26, 1942. Photo by Francis Stewart. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMLSC_TOMO_001

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-14-1/

img Former California plumber Morio Higashi marking out a steel casing for welding at Rohwer incarceration camp (ddr-csujad-14-23)

Former California plumber Morio Higashi marking out a steel casing for welding at Rohwer incarceration camp. March 8, 1943. Photo by Tom Parker. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMLSC_TOMO_023

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-14-23/

img Ninomiya family in their barracks room at Granada incarceration camp (ddr-csujad-14-3)

Ninomiya family in their barracks room at Granada incarceration camp. Tosh Ninomiya was responsible for documenting the history of the Granada center. December 9, 1942. Photo by Tom Parker. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMLSC_TOMO_003

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-14-3/

img Self-organized harikuri band, string quartet, at Jerome incarceration camp (ddr-csujad-14-18)

Self-organized harikuri band, a string quartet at Jerome incarceration camp. Guitar, Joe Iwasaki; first mandolin, Johnny Yamashita; violin, Seichi Ono; second mandolin, Yutaka Motsuda. March 12, 1943. Photo by Tom Parker. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMLSC_TOMO_018

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-14-18/

img High school students changing classes at Rohwer incarceration camp (ddr-csujad-14-62)

High school students changing classes at Rohwer incarceration camp. November 17, 1942. Photo by Tom Parker. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMLSC_TOMO_f27

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-14-62/

img Three high school agriculture students with their calves at Granada incarceration camp (ddr-csujad-14-46)

Three high school agriculture students with their calves at Granada incarceration camp. December 11, 1942. Photo by Tom Parker. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMLSC_TOMO_f11

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-14-46/

img Night school class in advanced English at Heart Mountain incarceration camp (ddr-csujad-14-59)

Night school class in advanced English at Heart Mountain incarceration camp. January 11, 1943. Photo by Tom Parker. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMLSC_TOMO_f24

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-14-59/

img Cooperative beauty salon at Granada incarceration camp (ddr-csujad-14-42)

Cooperative beauty salon at Granada incarceration camp. December 11, 1942. Photo by Tom Parker. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMLSC_TOMO_f07

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-14-42/

img Two incarcerees learning to run a steam shovel at Granada incarceration camp (ddr-csujad-14-39)

Two incarcerees learning to run a steam shovel at Granada incarceration camp. December 9, 1942. Photo by Tom Parker. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMLSC_TOMO_f04

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-14-39/

img Boys playing basketball at Granada incarceration camp (ddr-csujad-14-45)

Boys playing basketball at Granada incarceration camp. December 11, 1942. Photo by Tom Parker. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMLSC_TOMO_f10

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-14-45/

img Swing Band practice at Heart Mountain incarceration camp (ddr-csujad-14-51)

Swing Band practice at Heart Mountain incarceration camp. September 16, 1942. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMLSC_TOMO_f16

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-14-51/

img Evening view of Heart Mountain incarceration camp (ddr-csujad-14-8)

Evening view of Heart Mountain incarceration camp, September 19, 1942. Photo by Tom Parker. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMLSC_TOMO_008

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-14-8/

img High school Junior Class dance at Granada incarceration camp (ddr-csujad-14-43)

High school Junior Class dance at Granada incarceration camp. December 11, 1942. Photo by Tom Parker. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMLSC_TOMO_f08

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-14-43/

img Incarcerees watching outdoor musical performance at Manzanar incarceration camp (ddr-csujad-14-20)

Incarcerees watching outdoor musical performance at Manzanar incarceration camp. June 5, 1942. Photo by Francis Stewart. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMLSC_TOMO_020

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-14-20/

img Sixth grade boys playing softball during recess at Manzanar incarceration camp (ddr-csujad-14-19)

Sixth grade boys playing softball during recess at Manzanar incarceration camp. February 10, 1943. Photo by Francis Stewart. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: HMLSC_TOMO_019

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-14-19/

doc Desert Sentinel, Volume I, No. 4, November 30, 1942 (ddr-csujad-17-5)

School newspaper published at the Gila River incarceration camp. Features and topics include a new superintendent and the choice of "Desert Sentinel" as the name for the school paper; news of campus, sports, and social and holiday events, including the opening of the Butte High School library; items about classes, students and teachers, including a student …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-17-5/

doc Granada Pioneer, Edition 2, Issue 21, January 15, 1944 (ddr-csujad-17-9)

Newspaper published at the Granada incarceration camp. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: JARC_02-07_04

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-17-9/

doc Deserted Senses [spoof title for Desert Sentinel], Vol. I, No. 9, April 1, 1943 (ddr-csujad-17-3)

School newspaper published at the Gila River incarceration camp; this is an April Fools' Day issue with articles and illustrations making fun of life at camp. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: JARC_04-01_03

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-17-3/

doc Granada Pioneer, Edition 2, Issue 20, January 8, 1944 (ddr-csujad-17-8)

Newspaper published at the Granada incarceration camp. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: JARC_02-07_03

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-17-8/

doc Desert Sentinel, Vol. I. No. 15, June 21, 1943 (ddr-csujad-17-1)

School newspaper published at the Gila River incarceration camp. According to an announcement on the back page, publication seeks to make known the War Relocation Authority's "plans and policies," the results of Community Council deliberations, and various regulations and news about life at the Gila River Incarceration Camp. Issue features articles about and by the Camp's …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-17-1/

doc Granada Pioneer, Vol. I, No.5, November 11, 1942 (ddr-csujad-17-6)

Newspaper published at the Granada incarceration camp. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: JARC_02-01_06

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-17-6/

doc Granada Pioneer, Vol. I, No.61, May 1, 1943 (ddr-csujad-17-7)

Newspaper published at the Granada incarceration camp. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: JARC_02-04_01

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-17-7/

doc Desert Sentinel, Vol. I No. 3, December 24, 1942 (ddr-csujad-17-4)

School newspaper published at the Gila River incarceration camp. Features and topics include a constitution and new principal for Butte High School; news of campus, sports, and social and holiday events; items about classes, students and teachers; and short prose and poetry pieces. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-17-4/

doc Desert Sentinel, Vol. I No. 12, May 14, 1943 (ddr-csujad-17-2)

School newspaper published at the Gila River incarceration camp. Features and items include a report on a bond drive and on a "Kampus Karnival"; news about the debate team and about a talent show, as well as about goings-on at Topaz, Utah; Manzanar, California; Echoes, Wyoming; Hunt, Idaho; and Amache, Colorado; and illustrations. See this object …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-17-2/