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 (277)
Leaving camp (372)
Returning home (1150)

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1150 items

img Prize Table (ddr-one-1-424)

Black and white photographic negative of a large prize table at a bingo event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now know as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). Woman bent over on left side is Mitsy (Kiyomura) Takeoka, man sitting on far right side facing camera is identified as Zenzaburo Ochiai.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-424/

img Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet (ddr-one-1-413)

Black and white photographic negative of the head table at the Northwest Buddhist Convention banquet dinner in the Seattle Buddhist Church's basement. From left to right: Reverend Tatsuya Ichikawa (from Seattle, Washington), Reverend Eiyu Terao (from Spokane, Washington), Reverend Shinjo Ikuta (from Vancouver, British Columbia), Reverend Tesshin Shibata (from White River, Washington), Reverend Akira Jotetsu Ono …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-413/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 11 "Goin' Fishin'" (ddr-one-1-475)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 11 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered outside the Noon Bag Company building. On the side of the building is an advertisement for San Juan Slacks. The Grant Hotel is visible in the background. The float depicts a child using a large fishing rod made …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-475/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 31 "Portland Traction" (ddr-one-1-516)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 31 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 three mermaids seated around the front of the float, and a man dressed as …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-516/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 18 "Barrians" (ddr-one-1-491)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 18 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 five women in gowns sitting on top waving at the crowd, one man is …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-491/

img Obon Festival- Dancers (ddr-one-1-266)

Black and white photographic negative of four Obon dancers smiling for the camera. From left to right: Kathleen "Kathie" Haruko (Matsuda) Sato, Ruth Saito, Susanne Mineko (Sasaki) Myers, and Grace (Tachibana) Ishikawa. 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-1-266/

img Northwest Methodist Rally Portland (ddr-one-1-321)

Black and white photographic negative of the attendees of the Northwest Methodist Rally in Portland on November 23-25, 1951. The group is posed in front of the old Epworth Methodist Church building. Front row left to right starting third from left: Rupert Fujii, Shig Tada, and Reverend Francis Hayashi, other unidentified. Second row left to right: …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-321/

img Laying at the Oregon Coast (ddr-one-1-55)

Color slide of two women laying on a towel at the Oregon Coast. On the left is May (Ebihara) Gelfand.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-55/

img Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet- Kitchen (ddr-one-1-429)

Black and white photographic negative of three women and one girl in the kitchen of the Seattle Buddhist Church. Woman on right identified as Kiyo Harada.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-429/

img Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet (ddr-one-1-416)

Black and white photographic negative of guests at the Northwest Buddhist Convention banquet dinner in the basement of the Seattle Buddhist Church. Standing is Ted "Tetsuo" Tamaki talking to Kiku (Fujita) Morita.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-416/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 26 "Junior Court" (ddr-one-1-150)

Color slide of Portland Rose Festival Parade float 26 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered in front of Shoreline Hotel on the corner of NW Second Ave and W Burnside. The float carries the Rose Festival Junior Court. The court is riding on a carriage made of yellow flowers that is lead …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-150/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 34 "Hawthorne Boosters" (ddr-one-1-166)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 34 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Shoreline Hotel. The float has a small carousel made of flowers with two women riding on carousel horses. Two additional women ride sitting on the front of the float. A man in a blue uniform and black …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-166/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- Float 43 "Happy Elves" (ddr-one-1-458)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 43 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered outside the Shoreline Hotel, Anchor Inn, and Sailors Union of the Pacific. The float is of a green and pink bloomed flower with three riders sitting on top of the float dressed as elves in teal costumes, waving …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-458/

img Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-65)

Color slide of two women in kimonos or yukatas, outside performing Odori (traditional Japanese folk dance) at night. From left to right: Grace (Tachibana) Ishikawa and Ruth Saito.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-65/

img Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-51)

Color slide of two women in kimonos or yukatas, outside performing a Odori (a Japanese folk dance) at night. Woman on left identified as Ruth Saito.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-51/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 47 "Neptune's daughters" (ddr-one-1-507)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 47 being pulled by a cream color convertible with white wall tires in front of a crowd in front of a Signal gas station and San Francisco Tailor on SW Third Ave. The float reads "Marine day tomorrow" and "Neptune's daughters." A small yellow sign is visible above "Neptune's …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-507/

img Obon Festival Dance Rehearsal (ddr-one-1-307)

Black and white photographic negative of small audience watching the Obon dance rehearsal inside Norse Hall in Northeast Portland. Spectators can be seen in balcony. 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-1-307/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade Float- "Cosmo-Carnival" (ddr-one-1-138)

Color slide of a Rose Festival Parade float driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Shoreline Hotel on the corner of NW 2nd Ave and W Burnside. Signs for the Blue Eagle Cafe, Dr. Geo Chan, Chinese Medicine Company and Drugs visible in the background along W Burnside between NW 2nd and …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-138/

img Northwest Methodist Rally Portland (ddr-one-1-319)

Black and white group photographic negative of the attendees of the Northwest Methodist Rally in Portland on November 23-25, 1951. Inscription on negative reads "Northwest Methodist Rally Portland Nov. 23-25, 1951." The group is posed in front of old Epworth Methodist Church building. Front row left to right starting third from left: Rupert Fujii, Shig Tada, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-319/

img Reed College (ddr-one-1-366)

Black and white photographic print of Ayame Ogimi playing ukulele for two unidentified friends in her dorm room at Reed College. Negative ONLC 3186 (ddr-one-1-368).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-366/

img Reed College (ddr-one-1-368)

Black and white photographic negative of Ayame Ogimi playing ukulele for two unidentified friends in her dorm room at Reed College. Original print ONLC 3184 (ddr-one-1-366)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-368/

img Obon Festival Dance Rehearsal (ddr-one-1-302)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers practicing an Odori folk dance inside Norse Hall in Northeast Portland. Some dancers wear straw hats. Dancers from left to right: unidentified, unidentified, Dennis Kasubuchi, Mr. Tsujimura, unidentified, and Toraichi Kobayashi. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-302/

img Methodist Banquet (ddr-one-1-348)

Black and white photographic negative of a banquet inside a church. Guest are seated in pews around tables. Man standing on far right with tray is Kenji Onishi. Seated at table in foreground facing the camera is: Beti ann (Minamoto) Wantroba, unidentified, and Lew Tomita, looking at Kenji Onishi from foreground table is George Nakata. The …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-348/

img Community Picnic- playing cards (ddr-one-1-371)

Black and white photographic negative of Nisei playing cards at a community picnic at Viking Park hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). From left to right: Alfred Tsutomu Ando, Kathleen "Kathie" Haruko (Matsuda) Sato, and Shoji Kiyomura.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-371/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 20 "Insurance with a heart" (ddr-one-1-470)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 20 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered outside the Noon Bag Company building. A woman is riding on the back of the float in front of a large red heart with an arrow through it. A young boy in a bowler hat stands in the …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-470/