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 (283)
Leaving camp (430)
Returning home (1151)

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1151 items

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- Rose Court (ddr-one-1-483)

Color slide of the Rose Festival Court's float driving down W Burnside in front of the Grant Hotel during the Rose Festival Parade. All women waving to the crowd, queen, Jeanne Wallace, seated in the back of the float waving a silver scepter. The Portland Rose Festival Parade is an annual event in which floats are …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-483/

img Oregon Buddhist Church 50th Anniversary Celebration Chigo Procession (ddr-one-1-67)

Color slide of two children in traditional Japanese costumes with gold headdresses. Children are carrying pink flowers and are part of a Chigo "Children's" procession past the US Custom's House in Northwest Portland. The children are followed by an unidentified Buddhist priest. From left to right: Joanne (Furukawa) Longfeldt and Joyce (Matsunaga) McMahon.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-67/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- Equestrian team (ddr-one-1-486)

Color slide of six men on palomino horses holding American flags as they ride down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered outside the Shoreline and Grant Hotels in the Portland Rose Festival Parade. The Portland Rose Festival Parade is an annual event in which floats are made out of flowers and paraded down the …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-486/

img Obon Festival- Mayoral speech (ddr-one-1-206)

Black and white photographic negative of Portland Mayor Dorothy McCullough Lee giving a speech at the Portland Obon festival while dancers and spectators watch. Photographers are taking pictures near the podium. Man behind stairs leading up to the podium is Matsutaro Muramatsu. Woman on right edge of image behind a photographer is Mitsy (Kiyomura) Takeoka. A …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-206/

img Obon folk musicians (ddr-one-1-111)

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 coats and have tenugui (light cotton towel) headbands. Sitting behind the sound system is Henry Matsunaga. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-111/

img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-383)

Black and white photographic negative of a group of Nisei men sitting on the ground chatting at a community picnic at Viking Park hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). Facing the camera from left to right: Alfred Tsutomu Ando and Roy Otsuki. Jean Matsumoto is kneeling behind Alfred Tsutomu …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-383/

img Adelphons Group Photo (ddr-one-1-1)

Original black and white photographic print of the Adelphons, a young women's service group of the Portland Chapter of the Japanese American Citizen's League, in formal attire. Back Row (left to right): Sumiko “Sue” (Kawasaki) Fujino, unidentified, Minnie (Oyama) Abe, Ochiyo (Nishioka) Hasuike, unidentified, Mary (Furusho) Iwasaki, Tamae "Butch" Yamamoto, Kathryn (Kawata) Niita, Irene (Kawata) Nakagawa, …

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

img Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet (ddr-one-1-419)

Black and white photographic negative of six women preparing the Northwest Buddhist Convention banquet dinner in the kitchen of the Seattle Buddhist Church. From left to right: Kiyo (Ishikawa) Harada, May Matsumoto, Noriko (Ichikawa) Kurashige, Betty Kurimoto Yamasaki, and Irene (Yamauchi) Tatsuta.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-419/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 14 "To the Ball Game" (ddr-one-1-546)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 14 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Blue Eagle Café on the corner of NW Second Ave. The float is of a streetcar decorated in white, yellow and purple flowers. A conductor drives the streetcar while passengers sit inside the streetcar. The front of …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-546/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 43 "The Ugly Duckling" (ddr-one-1-509)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 43 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 made of blue flowers and has a small black cygnet in front of a …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-509/

img Wedding of Sam Sakamoto and Hanaye (Fujiwara) Sakamoto (ddr-one-1-45)

Black and white photographic negative of wedding attendants posed. Left to right: Tamaye (Fujiwara) Nomi and Yoichi "Jack" Nomi.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-45/

img Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-73)

Color slide of unidentified Japanese Americans outside performing a Odori (traditional Japanese folk dance) at night.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-73/

img Obon Festival- Dancers (ddr-one-1-252)

Black and white photographic negative of nine Obon dancers posing for the camera. From left to right: unidentified, Kuni Kitayama, Sakae Kobayashi, Hisako (Onishi) Saito, Hisano Sakamoto, unidentified, Tomi Tsujimura, Yoshino Fujii, unidentified. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) and attended by the wider Nikkei …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-252/

img Boy Scouts (ddr-one-1-91)

Black and white photographic negative of an unidentified boy scout troop at Obon Festival. 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-1-91/

img Sorelles Group Photo (ddr-one-1-12)

Black and white photographic negative 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, Kathleen …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-12/

img Oregon Buddhist Church 50th Anniversary Celebration Chigo Procession (ddr-one-1-53)

Color slide of Chigo "children's" procession past the US Custom House building in Northwest Portland. Children carry flowers and are accompanied by Buddhist ministers in black or white robes. Adults from left to right: Bishop Daiyu Y. Henjyoji, unidentified, Reverend Shoko Masunaga from Seattle and Reverend Eiyu Terao from Spokane. Children from left to right: unidentified, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-53/

img Obon Festival- Dancers (ddr-one-1-275)

Black and white photographic negative of three unidentified Obon dancers posing for the camera. 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-1-275/

img Third Annual Oregon Nisei Bowling League Tournament Dance- Women seated (ddr-one-1-121)

Black and white photographic negative of women sitting around two tables at the Third Annual Nisei Bowling League Tournament Dance at McElroy's Ballroom in Portland, Oregon. The women are chatting with drinks on the table. From left to right women facing the camera: unidentified, Mieko Fujita, Aki (Shiraishi) Dong, Takako Inukai, and Sumi "Sue" (Kaga) Hasegawa.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-121/

img Obon Festival Dance Rehearsal (ddr-one-1-297)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers rehearsing an Odori folk dance inside Norse Hall in Northeast Portland. Dancers form two circles, leader of outer circle is Tomi Tsujimura, leader of inner circle is Harue Akiyama, the Odori dance teacher. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-297/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 36 "Cinderella" (ddr-one-1-510)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 36driving 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 part of the story of Cinderella as she is leaving the Prince's ball at midnight. …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-510/

img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-380)

Black and white photographic negative of Nisei 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: Ted Tatsuo Tamaki, Shizuko "Shiz" (Ochiai) Ota Okazaki, Eddie Tamiyasu, Nobuko (Ochiai) Susaki, and unidentified.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-380/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-210)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers wearing straw hats in front of large crowd. 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-1-210/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 32 "Vancouver, WA" (ddr-one-1-515)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 32 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 showing a woman in a silver Roman gladiator costume fighting a dragon with a …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-515/

img Model shot (ddr-one-1-457)

Color slide of an unidentified white woman sitting on bales of straw for the annual Oregon Camera Club's Festival of Models photo shoot. According to donor processed on September 12, 1952. For black and white negative please see ONLC 5187

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-457/

img Wedding of Sam Sakamoto and Hanaye (Fujiwara) Sakamoto (ddr-one-1-40)

Original black and white photographic print of bridal party standing in front of the alter. Left to right: Tamaye (Fujiwara) Nomi, Hanaye (Fujiwara) Sakamoto, and Lilly (Kobayashi) Irinaga.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-40/