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-1-200)

Black and white photographic negative of unidentified Obon dancers performing in front of a crowd seated on benches. Paper lanterns visible above. 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, Oregon.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-200/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade Float- "Fort Vancouver" (ddr-one-1-545)

Color slide of a float in the Rose Festival Parade driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Shoreline Hotel. The float has two children, one dressed in a Native American costume holding a purple ribbon, the other in frontiersman costume with a coonskin cap. The pair are sitting in a canoe in …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-545/

img Sorelles Group Photo (ddr-one-1-24)

Black and white photographic negative of the Sorelles, a high school social group. Back Row (left to right): Elsie Okazaki, Agnes (Inouye) Kitayama, Atsuko "Alice" Kida, Atsuko "Alice" (Matsumoto) Ando, Nami (Miura) Koida, Kimi Wakabayashi, Grace Mieko (Muramatsu) Ouchida, Masae "Elsie" (Morita) Onishi, and Betty Nakashimada. Middle Row (left to right): Rose Haruye (Muramatsu) Ouchida, Kathleen …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-24/

img Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-71)

Color slide of Grace (Sakano) Robbs posing for the camera in a kimono at a Odori (traditional Japanese folk dance) performance.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-71/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 7 "Jack and Jill" (ddr-one-1-478)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 7 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered outside Bekins Storage, a sign for Edwards Furniture is visible in background. The float depicts the nursery rhyme "Jack and Jill." Two children sit on the float acting the parts of Jack and Jill. A well is on …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-478/

img Reed College (ddr-one-1-357)

Black and white photographic print of Ayame Ogimi and her brother Carlos Ogimi staring at a large document or drawing on a table in front of them. This photograph was taken at Reed College where Ayame and Carlos where both students. Negative ONLC 3177 (ddr-one-1-359).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-357/

img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-385)

Black and white photographic negative of a group sitting around a picnic table eating food at a community picnic at Viking Park hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). From left to right: Shizuko "Shiz" (Ochiai) Ota Okazaki, Mura Kaga, Shoji Kiyomura, Nobyo Sato, and Hideo "Dates" Ouchida.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-385/

img Obon Festival- Dancer (ddr-one-1-264)

Black and white photographic negative of an unidentified woman posing for the camera at Obon. 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-1-264/

img Sorelles Beach Outing (ddr-one-1-399)

Black and white photographic negative of Yoji Kiso (left) and Shig Tada (right) sitting in the sand at the Oregon Coast at a beach outing planned by the Sorrelles (a high school social group).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-399/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-203)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers in a partial circle in front of a crowd that circles around the dancers. Obon dancers inner circle starting from the right: Tomi Tsujimura, Patricia “Pat” (Ikata) Iboshi, Noboru Takashima, Shizuko "Shiz" (Ninomiya) Onishi, and others unidentified. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-203/

img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-386)

Black and white photographic negative of two people sitting at a picnic table during a community picnic at Viking Park hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). From left to right: Ben Kasubuchi, and Mary (Okita) Kasubuchi.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-386/

img Dance (ddr-one-1-100)

Black and white photographic negative of couples dancing together at an informal dance, possibly a Sorelles (a high school social group) event. Women seated along wall from left to right: Beti ann (Minamoto) Wantroba, May (Ebihara) Gelfand, Betty Ishida, Rose Haruye (Muramatsu) Ouchida, and Loretta (Fujii) Kaneko. Dancing on the far left is Betty Nakashimada and …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-100/

img Oregon Buddhist Church 50th Anniversary Celebration Procession (ddr-one-1-54)

Color slide of procession past US Custom House in Northwest Portland of women in kimonos or yukatas and men in dark suits. They are followed by Gene Sugimura carrying a purple banner with gold trim and the white emblem of the Wheel of Dharma in the center. From left to right: Janice (Matsunaga) Okamoto, Patricia “Pat” …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-54/

img Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-68)

Color slide of three people outside performing Odori (traditional Japanese folk dance) at night in traditional Japanese dress. On far right is Grace (Tachibana) Ishikawa.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-68/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 8 "Sacajawea" (ddr-one-1-501)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 8 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 visible riders, two men dressed as American frontiersmen and two women dressed in …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-501/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade Float- "Truck" (ddr-one-1-164)

Color slide of a Rose Festival Parade float that is pulled by two black horses down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside W.L. Reid Company Building Hardware Specialties. Children ride on the float with a woman dressed in a pilot's outfit standing in front. A man with a St. Bernard hold the reins to …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-164/

img Third Annual Oregon Nisei Bowling League Tournament Dance- Couples seated (ddr-one-1-120)

Black and white photographic negative of couples sitting around two tables at the Third Annual Nisei Bowling League Tournament Dance at McElroy's Ballroom in Portland, Oregon. The couples are chatting and drinking, one of the bottles has a 7-up label. Couple in the center identified as Lillian (Wong) Okazaki and Mino Okazaki. Woman in front on …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-120/

img Nisei Bowling League Women's Team (ddr-one-1-127)

Black and white photographic negative of a Nisei women's bowling team. The team is posed in front of a Ford sedan with a bowling ball and monogrammed shirts. Back row left to right: Kathleen Sasaki, Yoko (Hishikawa) Iwata, and Takako Inukai. Front row left to right: Toshi (Tamiyasu) Fukuhara, and Sachi (Nakata) Nakashima. Original print ONLC …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-127/

img Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet (ddr-one-1-421)

Black and white photographic negative of guests at the Northwest Buddhist Convention banquet dinner in the basement of the Seattle Buddhist Church. Flag with the Wheel of Dharma is visible in hanging in the background. Sitting second from the left at table in foreground: Sumiye (Fukei) Kato, others unidentified.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-421/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-263)

Black and white photographic negative of Grace (Sakano) Robbs dancing at Obon. 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-1-263/

img Nisei Duet (ddr-one-1-342)

Black and white photographic negative of two unidentified Nisei women singing next to a piano. This photograph may have been taken during the Northwest Methodist Rally.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-342/

img Oregon Buddhist Church Annual Lotus Bazaar- Bingo Table (ddr-one-1-108)

Black and white photographic negative of a group of people playing bingo at the Oregon Buddhist Church's Annual Lotus Bazaar. Sitting left to right: unidentified, Shig Yuzuriha, Shiz (Fujita) Inaba, Lily (Tsujimura) Hongo Fujita, remaining unidentified. The Oregon Buddhist Church is now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple. For print please see ONLC 4948 (ddr-one-1-719)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-108/

img Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-70)

Color slide of an unidentified woman in a pink kimono outside performing a Odori (a traditional Japanese folk dance) at night.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-70/

img New Tokyo Bar (ddr-one-1-83)

Black and white photographic negative of an unidentified patron in the New Tokyo Bar sitting in a booth near two unidentified guitar players.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-83/

img Third Annual Oregon Nisei Bowling League Tournament Dance- Couple seated (ddr-one-1-125)

Black and white photographic negative of couple sitting alone in a booth at the Third Annual Nisei Bowling League Tournament Dance at McElroy's Ballroom in Portland, Oregon. The couple is posing for the camera. Woman identified as Frances (Sono) Gale, man unidentified.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-125/