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 Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 40 "Mother Goose" (ddr-one-1-461)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 40 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered outside the Shoreline Hotel and Anchor Inn. In the background the sign for the Blue Eagle Cafe is visible. The float depicts the story "The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe." Children are on the front of …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-461/

img Obon Festival- Dancer (ddr-one-1-280)

Black and white photographic negative of Fukiyo Masuda smiling 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-1-280/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- Pistol Creek Fire Department (ddr-one-1-179)

Color slide of the Pistol Creek Fire Department pulling along a small wagon in front of a crowd outside the Blue Eagle Cafe on W Burnside and NW Second Ave. A sign for Dr. Geo Chan office is visible in the background. The men are dressed in red long-johns and rubber boots. The Rose Festival Parade …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-179/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- Baton twirler (ddr-one-1-549)

Color slide of a girl in a red uniform and white boots marching down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside Chinese Medicine Co. building near NW Second Ave in the Portland Rose Festival Parade. She is twirling a baton. In the background a marching band in red uniforms is visible. The Portland Rose Festival …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-549/

img Obon Festival- Obon dancers (ddr-one-1-212)

Black and white photographic negative of four Obon dancers posed for the camera in front of a crowd. From left to right: Chieko Yoshihara, Hisano Sakamoto, Sakae Kobayashi, and Kaoru Funatake. 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-1-212/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 8 (ddr-one-1-528)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 8 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered outside the Chinese Medicine Co and Dr. Geo Chan's office. The float depicts Santa Claus in his sleigh and reindeer, including Rudolph taking off from a roof top. The float has a blue ribbon attached to the front …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-528/

img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-374)

Black and white photographic negative of Nisei sitting on a blanket at a community picnic at Viking Park hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). From left to right: Kathleen "Kathie" Haruko (Matsuda) Sato, Roy Otsuki, and Rose Haruye (Muramatsu) Ouchida.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-374/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-260)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers in three partial circles with audience enclosing dancers. Photograph is taken from behind the audience. 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-1-260/

img Obon Festival- Dancer (ddr-one-1-284)

Black and white photographic negative of Kaoru Funatake smiling 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-1-284/

img Geisha Girl (ddr-one-1-435)

Black and white original photographic print of an unidentified woman dressed in a kimono with hair and makeup done in a traditional geisha style. A large parasol is placed beside her on the stage of the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple.)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-435/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 17 "Dreamland" (ddr-one-1-550)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 17 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside Blue Eagle Café on the corner of NW Second Ave. A woman in a white dress stands surrounded in pink flowers that make fairy wings. A young boy is seated next to her. The front of the float …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-550/

img Obon Festival Dancers (ddr-one-1-75)

Black and white photographic print of three Japanese American women posing in costumes used to dance during Obon. Women are holding "tenugui" (towels used in the traditional Japanese folk dance "Odori"). From left to right: Jean Yasuko (Kida) Tomita, Atsuko "Alice" (Ando) Matsumoto, Atsuko "Alice" Kida. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-75/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 10 "Pasadena Tournament of Roses" (ddr-one-1-499)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 10 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 decorated in pink and white flowers. A woman stands near the back of the …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-499/

img Nisei at Epworth United Methodist Church (ddr-one-1-325)

Black and white photographic negative of Nisei at Epworth United Methodist Church most likely during the Northwest Methodist Rally. They sit in two rows around a bay window. Front row left to right: unidentified, Martha (Kondo) Miyasaki, Mitsy (Kiyomura) Takeoka, Atsuko "Alice" Kida and Nami (Miura) Koida. Back row: unidentified, Yone (Kanda) Terada, Gloria (Osawa) Fujii, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-325/

img Obon dragon dance (ddr-one-1-112)

Black and white photographic negative of four unidentified men playing traditional Japanese instruments at the Obon Festival in front a microphone. All are dressed in happi coast and have tenugui (light cotton towel) headbands. Two dancers in a dragon costume dance in front of the musicians. Man sitting on far right identified as Henry Matsunaga. Obon …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-112/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-195)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers in front of a large crowd. First Oban dancer from the left: Masano Hachiya Yamasaki, fourth Obon dancer from the left: Haru Fujita. 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-1-195/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade float- "PGE" (ddr-one-1-503)

Color slide of a Rose Festival Parade 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 depicts a knight with a shield that has PGE written on it, riding on a …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-503/

img Portland Streetcar (ddr-one-1-543)

Color slide of an old Portland Streetcar that once went to Council Crest. The streetcar is white and red and is numbered 506. The front bumper reads "See Portland from Council Crest." The streetcar sits in an open field at Council Crest Park. According to donor processed on June 14, 1964. For black and white negative …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-543/

img Obon Festival Dance Rehearsal (ddr-one-1-306)

Black and white photographic negative of small audience watching the Obon dance rehearsal inside Norse Hall in Northeast Portland. 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-1-306/

img Sorelles Group Photo (ddr-one-1-7)

Original black and white photographic print of the Sorelles, a high school social group. Back Row (left to right): Elsie Okazaki, Anges (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, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-7/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- "Mixer Mobile" (ddr-one-1-459)

Color slide of a Rose Festival Parade float driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered outside the Shoreline Hotel, Anchor Inn and Sailors Union of the Pacific. The float has a large white sign above reading "Mixer Mobile" red and blue flowers. Sitting on the float are unidentified people under flower umbrellas, one …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-459/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- Military Band (ddr-one-1-148)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Grant Hotel. A military band rides on the back of the float. In front are a group of men dressed as clowns, one man is holding a blue ribbon. The Rose Festival Parade is an annual event in …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-148/

img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-372)

Black and white photographic negative of three Nisei girls sitting on a blanket 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, Phyllis Midori (Ando) Muramatsu, and Betty Nakashimada.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-372/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- Marching Band (ddr-one-1-142)

Color slide of drum majorettes in white uniforms leading a marching band in blue-gray uniforms along the Rose Festival parade route down W Burnside past a crowd gathered outside the Shoreline Hotel and Cafe. The Rose Festival Parade is an annual event in which floats are made out of flowers and paraded down the streets of …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-142/

img Obon Festival- Children dancers (ddr-one-1-262)

Black and white photographic negative of unidentified young Obon dancers sitting on grass in front of photographers. One girl appears to be eating a snack. 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-1-262/