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 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-1-314)

Black and white photographic negative of Susan Shizuko (Yoshida) Kurimoto posing with a tenugui (light cotton towel). 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-1-314/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade Float- "Catholic Organizations Dove of Peace" (ddr-one-1-493)

Color slide of the Catholic Organizations Dove of Peace 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 in the Portland Rose Festival Parade. On the float sit three visible women dressed in …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-493/

img Oregon Buddhist Church Bingo (ddr-one-1-423)

Black and white photographic negative of a bingo game with prizes displayed in the center. Event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now know as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). Bingo workers from left to right: Aki (Shiraishi) Dong, Ben Kasubuchi, unidentified, and Betty Nakashimada. Sitting in far left corner talking with Aki (Shiraishi) Dong is Mary …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-423/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- Float 35 "Portland Fire Department" (ddr-one-1-165)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 35 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Shoreline Hotel and Anchor Inn. The float is made of pink and red flowers, a seal made of red flowers sits on top of the float, a man leans out of the float's window waving at the …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-165/

img Reed College (ddr-one-1-354)

Black and white photographic negative of Carlos Ogimi and other students sitting at drawing table working on an unknown project. Carlos is the first seated student on the right, everyone else is unidentified. This photographic negative was most likely taken at Reed College where Carlos was a student.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-354/

img Third Annual Oregon Nisei Bowling League Tournament Dance- Couples seated (ddr-one-1-126)

Black and white photographic negative of couples sitting in booth around two tables at the Third Annual Nisei Bowling League Tournament Dance at McElroy's Ballroom in Portland, Oregon. Both couples are posing for the camera. Left to right: Barbara Sono Uyesugi, Koji Sono, Molly (Yamase) Sono and Tom Sono.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-126/

img Roses (ddr-one-1-540)

Color slide of pink rose bushes, most likely at Rose Test Garden in Washington Park. According to donor processed on June 14, 1964.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-540/

img Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-50)

Color slide of four unidentified women and one unidentified man in kimonos or yukatas, outside performing a Odori (a Japanese folk dance) at night.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-50/

img Sorelles Beach Outing (ddr-one-1-397)

Black and white photographic print of Sumi "Sue" (Kaga) Hasegawa playing the ukulele for Aki (Shiraishi) Dong as she is buried in the sand at a beach outing planned by the Sorrelles (a high school social group). Three Nisei men sit around Aki (Shiraishi) Dong, from front to back: Yoji Kiso, Shig Tada, and Tom Fujii.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-397/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- Margaret Whiting and Marching Band (ddr-one-1-173)

Color slide of a car with a female passenger in a fur coat and sign reading "Margaret Whiting". The car is followed by a marching band in green uniforms and three baton twirlers in white uniforms marching the Portland Rose Festival Parade. They are traveling down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Riverfront …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-173/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-291)

Black and white photographic negative of Patricia “Pat” (Ikata) Iboshi dancing an Odori folk dance 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-1-291/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-277)

Black and white photographic negative of two lines of Obon dancers performing an Odori folk dance. 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-1-277/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 9 "Central Labor Council" (ddr-one-1-500)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 9 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 eight visible women in gowns sitting around the float. Two men in dark suits …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-500/

img YBA Tacoma Baseball Team (ddr-one-1-28)

Black and white photographic negative of a Japanese American baseball team in uniforms that read "YBA". The team has been identified as from Tacoma, Washington. First from the right in the front row: Ted Taniguchi, First from the right in the back row: Stogie Kawabata.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-28/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 6 "Nursery Land" (ddr-one-1-479)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 6 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered outside Bekins Storage, a sign for Edwards Furniture is visible in background. On the float is large numbered letter blocks and a teddy bear. Women sit on the corners of the float, one waving a red ribbon. A …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-479/

img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-376)

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, and Rose Haruye (Muramatsu) Ouchida.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-376/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 29 "Paul Bunyan and Babe" (ddr-one-1-518)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 29 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 a large flower depiction of Paul Bunyan and his ox Babe. Three women dressed …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-518/

img Oregon Buddhist Church Annual Lotus Bazaar- Refreshments Table (ddr-one-1-106)

Black and white photographic negative of the Oregon Buddhist Church's Annual Lotus Bazaar Refreshments Table. Toyse "Toy" Miura and Phyllis Midori (Ando) Muramatsu are running the refreshments table. Behind them are stacks of empty soda bottles. The Oregon Buddhist Church is now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-106/

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/

img Obon Festival- Dancers (ddr-one-1-293)

Black and white photographic negative of two Obon dancers holding "uchiwa" (fan) and smiling for the camera indoors. From left to right: Kuni Kitayama and Chiyoko Yoshihara. 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-1-293/

img Obon Festival- Dancer (ddr-one-1-234)

Black and white photographic negative of Harue Akiyama, the Obon dance instructor, posing for camera wearing straw hat. 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-1-234/