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 Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 4 Queen and Court (ddr-one-1-143)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 4 with the Rose Festival Queen and Court on red and white float driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered outside W.L. Reid Company Building Hardware Specialties and the Riverside Hotel. An advertisement for Chevrolet is visible in the background on the side of the Portland …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-143/

img Tractors (ddr-one-1-452)

Color slide of two parked John Deere tractors in a field, appears to be an old John Deere 1940s model M and a newer 1950s Model A with a fork loader attached to the front. According to donor processed on June 20, 1951. For black and white negative please see ONLC 4821, for black and white …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-452/

img Sorelles Group Photo (ddr-one-1-8)

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-1-8/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 11 "The Calliope" (ddr-one-1-137)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 11 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside W.L. Reid Company Building Hardware Specialties. Float depicts a calliope with a player dressed as a clown on top. Three female riders sit up front in short poofy dresses, one holds a blue ribbon while the other two …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-137/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 23 "Fountain of Youth" (ddr-one-1-517)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 23 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 Spanish conquistadors discovering the fountain of youth under a pink willow tree. The …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-517/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 26 "Beaverton" (ddr-one-1-535)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 26 driving down W Burnside past a crowd outside Dr. Geo Chan's office and the Chinese Medicine Company during the Rose Festival Parade. The float is made of red flowers and has a carriage on top made of red and white flowers and is pulled by a horse made …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-535/

img Obon Festival- Dancer (ddr-one-1-235)

Black and white photographic negative of Beti ann (Minamoto) Wantroba posing for the camera with one arm raised above her head. 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-1-235/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-189)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers with arms extended in front. Dancers: first from left Shizuko "Shiz" (Ninomiya) Onishi, fourth from left Ed Honma, fifth from left Tom Shigeto Tamiyasu, first from right Ted Tetsuo Tamaki. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) and …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-189/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- Marching Band (ddr-one-1-170)

Color slide of a drum major and three majorettes in white uniforms leading a marching band in dark red uniforms along the Portland Rose Festival parade route in front of a crowd gathered outside W.L. Reid Company Building Hardware Specialties and the Riverfront Hotel on W Burnside. An advertisement for Chevrolet is visible on the side …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-170/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade Float- "The Phaeton" (ddr-one-1-548)

Color slide of a float 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 phaeton style carriage made of white flowers with a blue flowers on the trim and red flowers for the wheels. Two horses made of white …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-548/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-285)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers in flower hats performing an Odori folk dance at Obon. Woman in center of image is identified as Masano Hachiya Yamasaki. 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-1-285/

img Northwest Methodist Rally Portland (ddr-one-1-322)

Black and white photographic negative of the attendees of the Northwest Methodist Rally in Portland on November 23-25, 1951. Inscription on negative reads "Northwest methodis Rally Portla Nov. 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, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-322/

img Reed College (ddr-one-1-361)

Black and white photographic print 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 taken at Reed College where Carlos was a student. Negative ONLC 3181 (ddr-one-1-363).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-361/

img Obon Festival- Dancers (ddr-one-1-240)

Black and white photographic negative of six Obon dancers posing for the camera with arms held up wearing straw hats. From left to right: Shizuko "Shiz" (Ochiai) Ota Okazaki, Jean (Tsujimura) Takashima, Atsuko "Alice" Kida, Jean Yasuko (Kida) Tomita, Atsuko "Alice" (Matsumoto) Ando, and Eddie Tamiyasu. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-240/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 45 "Pendleton Roundup" (ddr-one-1-157)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 45 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered outside the Shoreline Hotel, Anchor Inn, and Sailors Union of the Pacific. On the side of the float is an image of a bronco rider with a caption "let 'em buck." Five women ride on the float, four …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-157/

img Sorelles Group Photo (ddr-one-1-6)

Black and white photographic negative of the Sorelles, a high school social group. Back Row (left to right): Elsie Okazaki, Agnes (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-1-6/

img Hanamatsuri (birth of Buddha celebration) Odori Performance (ddr-one-1-407)

Black and white photographic negative of two unidentified dancers with fans performing an Odori folk dance on stage for Hanamatsuri (birth of Buddha celebration) inside the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple). Two woman sit on stage in western style clothes, one playing a shamisen.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-407/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-200)

Black and white photographic negative of unidentified Obon dancers performing in front of a crowd seated on benches. Paper lanterns visible above. 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-1-200/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade Float- "Fort Vancouver" (ddr-one-1-545)

Color slide of a float in the Rose Festival Parade driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Shoreline Hotel. The float has two children, one dressed in a Native American costume holding a purple ribbon, the other in frontiersman costume with a coonskin cap. The pair are sitting in a canoe in …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-545/

img Sorelles Group Photo (ddr-one-1-24)

Black and white photographic negative of the Sorelles, a high school social group. Back Row (left to right): Elsie Okazaki, Agnes (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-1-24/

img Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-71)

Color slide of Grace (Sakano) Robbs posing for the camera in a kimono at a Odori (traditional Japanese folk dance) performance.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-71/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 7 "Jack and Jill" (ddr-one-1-478)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 7 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd gathered outside Bekins Storage, a sign for Edwards Furniture is visible in background. The float depicts the nursery rhyme "Jack and Jill." Two children sit on the float acting the parts of Jack and Jill. A well is on …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-478/

img Reed College (ddr-one-1-357)

Black and white photographic print of Ayame Ogimi and her brother Carlos Ogimi staring at a large document or drawing on a table in front of them. This photograph was taken at Reed College where Ayame and Carlos where both students. Negative ONLC 3177 (ddr-one-1-359).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-357/

img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-385)

Black and white photographic negative of a group sitting around a picnic table eating food at a community picnic at Viking Park hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). From left to right: Shizuko "Shiz" (Ochiai) Ota Okazaki, Mura Kaga, Shoji Kiyomura, Nobyo Sato, and Hideo "Dates" Ouchida.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-385/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-197)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers in front of a crowd with one arm raised. Obon dancers: second from the left dressed in a pattered kimono is Shiz (Fujita) Inaba, fourth from the left is Ben Kasubuchi, fifth from the left in back is Mary Yamaguchi. Obon is an annual event hosted by the …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-197/