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 (288)
Returning home (1049)

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1049 items

img Meeting (ddr-one-1-454)

Color slide of two women sitting at a meeting table, a man standing at the head. Others sitting in the background. According to donor processed on September 12, 1952.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-454/

img Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-69)

Color slide of three people posing in Odori costumes (traditional Japanese folk dance), fourth is in western style clothes. From Left to right: Ida (Hobara) Sugahiro, Katie (Iwamoto) Tamiyasu, Wendy (Hongo) Peace, and Lily (Tsujimura) Hongo Fujita.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-69/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-226)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers in large circle facing a podium in the center with "uchiwa" (fan) in hand. A large crowd watches on from left side of image. 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-1-226/

img Nisei at Epworth United Methodist Church (ddr-one-1-439)

Black and white photographic print of Nisei at Epworth United Methodist Church most likely during the Northwest Methodist Rally. 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, Mary (Kondo) Yamano, Miriam (Koyama) Kiso, and Masae "Elsie" …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-439/

img Obon Festival Dance Rehearsal (ddr-one-1-309)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers rehearsing an Odori folk dance in front of a small audience inside Norse Hall in Northeast Portland. Obon dancers from left to right: Tom Shigeto Tamiyasu, and Arthur Ojiro “Art” Sasaki. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-309/

img Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet (ddr-one-1-417)

Black and white photographic negative of guests at the Northwest Buddhist Convention banquet dinner in the basement of the Seattle Buddhist Church. A flag with the Wheel of Dharma is visible behind the head table. Sitting at table in foreground on left hand side from left to right: Harry Toshi, unidentified, Irene (Fujii) Mano, unidentified and …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-417/

img Obon Festival Dance Rehearsal (ddr-one-1-301)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers practicing an Odori folk dance inside Norse Hall in Northeast Portland. Third Obon dancer from the left is identified as Shizuko "Shiz" (Ochiai) Ota Okazaki. 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-1-301/

img Sorelles Group Photo (ddr-one-1-10)

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-1-10/

img Obon Festival- Dancers (ddr-one-1-436)

Black and white photographic print of six Obon dancers posing for the camera holding small Japanese and American flags. From left to right: Eddie Tamiyasu, Atsuko "Alice" Kida, Jean (Tsujimura) Takashima, Jean Yasuko (Kida) Tomita, Shizuko "Shiz" (Ochiai) Ota Okasaki, Atsuko "Alice" (Matsumoto) Ando. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-436/

img Oregon Buddhist Church Talent Show (ddr-one-1-338)

Five unidentified girls have their faces painted black and are dressed up in large white gloves and patched jeans. Appear to be performing a tap dance at the annual talent show hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-338/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- cowboy (ddr-one-1-505)

Color slide of a Roy Rogers in a white suit and hat riding a palomino horse in the Rose Festival Parade on SW Third Ave, he is passing a Signal gas station and San Francisco Tailor, behind the Signal gas station is the old Multnomah Hotel. In the foreground is Dale Evans riding a horse in …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-505/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 20 "Circus Special" (ddr-one-1-155)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 20 being pulled by two brown horses down W Burnside in front of the W.L. Reid Company Building Hardware Specialties and the Riverside Hotel and Cafe. The float is a large streetcar decorated with flowers, with a sign above reading "Circus Special." The side of the float reads "Milwaukie," …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-155/

img Obon Festival Dance Rehearsal (ddr-one-1-317)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers rehearsing an Odori folk dance inside Norse Hall in Northeast Portland. Dancers from left to right: Patricia “Pat” (Ikata) Iboshi, Marjory "Marge" (Ando) Smith, unidentified, unidentified, unidentified, Toshiko (Maekawa) Okino, Susan Shizuko (Yoshida) Kurimoto, and Nobuko Yoshida. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-317/

img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-382)

Black and white photographic negative of two picnic tables with people sitting with plates of food in front of them. The community picnic is at Viking Park and is hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). Sitting at picnic table in foreground left to right: Atsuko "Alice" (Matsumoto) Ando, and …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-382/

img Obon Festival Dance Rehearsal (ddr-one-1-300)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers practicing an Odori folk dance inside Norse Hall in Northeast Portland. From left to right male Obon dancers: Hiro Okayama, Mr. Tsujimura, Kenneth Yasutome, Yonezo Fujii, and unidentified. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) and attended by …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-300/

img Reed College (ddr-one-1-351)

Black and white photographic negative of Ayame Ogimi's dorm room at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Ayame Ogimi is seated on the floor smiling towards the camera, friends seated in semi-circle are unidentified.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-351/

img Odori costumes (ddr-one-1-62)

Color slide of three women sitting dressed in Odori (traditional Japanese folk dance) costumes of kimonos or yukatas with straw hats on. From left to right: unidentified, Midori Hasegawa, and Lily Ono.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-62/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float "Retail Trade Bureau" (ddr-one-1-474)

Color slide of a Rose Festival Parade float driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered outside the Noon Bag Company building. The side of the float reads "Retail Trade Bureau." Four riders sit inside a carriage made of red and yellow flowers pulled by two horses made of black flowers over snow made …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-474/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-271)

Black and white photographic negative of unidentified male Obon dancers performing in front of 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-1-271/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 12 "Tobogganing Kiwanis" (ddr-one-1-473)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 12 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 float depicts four riders on a toboggan riding down a snowy hill. A young boy sits on the …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-473/

img Chinese Wedding Celebration (ddr-one-1-237)

Black and white photographic negative of Fred Lee and Betty Jean (Chinn) Lee's wedding guests outside in front of a fence. On the ground is a dragon costume. An unidentified man is spinning a long pole in front of crowd to the right, several men in the crowd appear to be playing a large drum, gong …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-237/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-213)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers in a partial circle, a crowd encloses the dancers. Obon dancers right to left outer circle: Yoshino Fujii, Tamuro Miura, unidentified, Nobuko Yoshida, and Loretta (Fujii) Kaneko. Obon dancers right to left inner circle: fourth in Jimmy Yoshida, Patricia “Pat” (Ikata) Iboshi, Joe Shiraishi, and Yoneko (Aono) Sugimura. …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-213/

img Valentine's Day potluck at Oregon Buddhist Church (ddr-one-1-56)

Color slide of two men sitting at table inside the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) at a Valentine's day potluck celebration. From left to right: Jack Yasutome and Jack Ouchida.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-56/

img Sorelles Beach Outing (ddr-one-1-395)

Black and white photographic negative of Tom Fujii (left) and Shig Tada (right) sitting on Yoji Kiso at the Oregon Coast at a beach outing planned by the Sorrelles (a high school social group). Aki (Shiraishi) Dong is laying in the sand next to Yoji Kiso.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-395/

img Obon Festival Dance Rehearsal (ddr-one-1-316)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers rehearsing an Odori folk dance inside Norse Hall in Northeast Portland. Dancers from left to right: Betty Nakashimada, Aki (Shiraishi) Dong, Mabel (Maekawa) Ota, Carol (Takeda) Smith, unidentified, Tomi Tsujimura, Susan Shizuko (Yoshida) Kurimoto. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-316/