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 Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-203)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers in a partial circle in front of a crowd that circles around the dancers. Obon dancers inner circle starting from the right: Tomi Tsujimura, Patricia “Pat” (Ikata) Iboshi, Noboru Takashima, Shizuko "Shiz" (Ninomiya) Onishi, and others unidentified. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-203/

img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-386)

Black and white photographic negative of two people sitting at a picnic table during a community picnic at Viking Park hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). From left to right: Ben Kasubuchi, and Mary (Okita) Kasubuchi.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-386/

img Dance (ddr-one-1-100)

Black and white photographic negative of couples dancing together at an informal dance, possibly a Sorelles (a high school social group) event. Women seated along wall from left to right: Beti ann (Minamoto) Wantroba, May (Ebihara) Gelfand, Betty Ishida, Rose Haruye (Muramatsu) Ouchida, and Loretta (Fujii) Kaneko. Dancing on the far left is Betty Nakashimada and …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-100/

img Oregon Buddhist Church 50th Anniversary Celebration Procession (ddr-one-1-54)

Color slide of procession past US Custom House in Northwest Portland of women in kimonos or yukatas and men in dark suits. They are followed by Gene Sugimura carrying a purple banner with gold trim and the white emblem of the Wheel of Dharma in the center. From left to right: Janice (Matsunaga) Okamoto, Patricia “Pat” …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-54/

img Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-68)

Color slide of three people outside performing Odori (traditional Japanese folk dance) at night in traditional Japanese dress. On far right is Grace (Tachibana) Ishikawa.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-68/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 8 "Sacajawea" (ddr-one-1-501)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 8 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 four visible riders, two men dressed as American frontiersmen and two women dressed in …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-501/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade Float- "Truck" (ddr-one-1-164)

Color slide of a Rose Festival Parade float that is pulled by two black horses down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside W.L. Reid Company Building Hardware Specialties. Children ride on the float with a woman dressed in a pilot's outfit standing in front. A man with a St. Bernard hold the reins to …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-164/

img Third Annual Oregon Nisei Bowling League Tournament Dance- Couples seated (ddr-one-1-120)

Black and white photographic negative of couples sitting around two tables at the Third Annual Nisei Bowling League Tournament Dance at McElroy's Ballroom in Portland, Oregon. The couples are chatting and drinking, one of the bottles has a 7-up label. Couple in the center identified as Lillian (Wong) Okazaki and Mino Okazaki. Woman in front on …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-120/

img Nisei Bowling League Women's Team (ddr-one-1-127)

Black and white photographic negative of a Nisei women's bowling team. The team is posed in front of a Ford sedan with a bowling ball and monogrammed shirts. Back row left to right: Kathleen Sasaki, Yoko (Hishikawa) Iwata, and Takako Inukai. Front row left to right: Toshi (Tamiyasu) Fukuhara, and Sachi (Nakata) Nakashima. Original print ONLC …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-127/

img Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet (ddr-one-1-421)

Black and white photographic negative of guests at the Northwest Buddhist Convention banquet dinner in the basement of the Seattle Buddhist Church. Flag with the Wheel of Dharma is visible in hanging in the background. Sitting second from the left at table in foreground: Sumiye (Fukei) Kato, others unidentified.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-421/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-263)

Black and white photographic negative of Grace (Sakano) Robbs dancing 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-1-263/

img Nisei Duet (ddr-one-1-342)

Black and white photographic negative of two unidentified Nisei women singing next to a piano. This photograph may have been taken during the Northwest Methodist Rally.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-342/

img Oregon Buddhist Church Annual Lotus Bazaar- Bingo Table (ddr-one-1-108)

Black and white photographic negative of a group of people playing bingo at the Oregon Buddhist Church's Annual Lotus Bazaar. Sitting left to right: unidentified, Shig Yuzuriha, Shiz (Fujita) Inaba, Lily (Tsujimura) Hongo Fujita, remaining unidentified. The Oregon Buddhist Church is now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple. For print please see ONLC 4948 (ddr-one-1-719)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-108/

img Young Buddhist League Convention Court and Queen (ddr-one-1-26)

Black and white photographic print of the Fourth Annual Northwest Young Buddhist League's Convection Court and Queen. Left to Right: Mae (Okazaki) Sasaki of Tacoma, Washington; Margaret Tomoguchi of Seattle, Washington; Mary (Nakata) Fujii of Portland, Oregon (Queen); Sumi (Hashimoto) Kurokawa, and Takako Nitta of Spokane, Washington. This photograph was found in Frank Hirahara's memorabilia of …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-26/

img Reed College (ddr-one-1-359)

Black and white photographic negative 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 were both students. Original print ONLC 3175 (ddr-one-1-357).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-359/

img Methodist Banquet (ddr-one-1-344)

Black and white photographic negative of guests at a banquet held inside a church. Guest seated along right side of table in foreground from left to right: May (Ebihara) Gelfand, Rose Namba, unidentified, Loretta (Fujii) Kaneko, unidentified, Betty Ishida, and Jayne (Katada) Furukawa. All other guests unidentified. Sign behind the pulpit reads: "Just a Happy Smile: …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-344/

img Wedding of Sam Sakamoto and Hanaye (Fujiwara) Sakamoto (ddr-one-1-31)

Original black and white photographic print of Sam Sakamoto and Hanaye (Fujiwara) Sakamoto's wedding taken from above and behind. Negative ONLC 2815. (ddr-one-1-42)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-31/

img Obon Festival- Dancer (ddr-one-1-283)

Black and white photographic negative of an unidentified Obon dancer posing 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-1-283/

img Wedding of Sam Sakamoto and Hanaye (Fujiwara) Sakamoto (ddr-one-1-35)

Original black and white photographic print of Bride and Groom, Hanaye (Fujiwara) Sakamoto and Sam Sakamoto, smiling for the camera. Print is a portrait of the couple.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-35/

img Oregon Buddhist Church 50th Anniversary Celebration Chigo Procession (ddr-one-1-48)

Color slide of the Chigo "Children's" Procession to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). Children are dressed in traditional Japanese children's ceremonial costumes and walk in a line down a street in front of the US Custom House in Northwest Portland. They are following Tom Shigeto …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-48/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-201)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers, children hold small Japanese and American flags, adult holds wooden blocks, in front of a crowd. Adult Obon dancer identified as Harue Akiyama (the Odori teacher). Crowd standing on the right side of a large wooden pole: second from the left is Ruby (Takashima) Sumino, third from the …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-201/

img Sorelles Group Photo (ddr-one-1-9)

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-1-9/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 23 "Story Book Hour" (ddr-one-1-537)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 23 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Blue Eagle Café on the corner of NW Second Ave. The float has three children in white sitting on the float waving at the crowd. One woman in a white dress stands at the back of float …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-537/

img Obon Festival- Dancers (ddr-one-1-267)

Black and white photographic negative of two young girls posing for the camera at Obon in front of crowd seated on bleachers. Second from the left is Janice (Matsunaga) Okamoto. 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-1-267/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-218)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers performing before a crowd. Obon dancers from left to right: fifth from the left is Shig Yuzuriha, seventh from the left is Nobyo Sato, ninth from the left is Hana Hanada. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-218/