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 (66)
Leaving camp (128)
Returning home (941)

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941 items

img Rose Test Garden (ddr-one-1-524)

Color slide of the Rose Test Garden in Washington Park. Rows of various types of rose bushes can be seen across the image. Five other visitors can be seen looking at the various rose bushes. According to donor processed on June 14, 1964.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-524/

img Reed College (ddr-one-1-353)

Black and white photographic negative of Ayame Ogimi leaning against a railing posing for the camera. This photographic negative was taken at Reed College where Ayame was a student.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-353/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 11 "Hiawatha" (ddr-one-1-498)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 11 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 of pink, white and blue flowers making a river and canoe. Inside the canoe are …

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-498/

img Obon Festival- Dancers (ddr-one-1-242)

Black and white photographic negative of six Obon dancers posing for the camera with one arm touching their 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 …

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-242/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-289)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers performing an Odori folk dance at Obon. From left to right: Jean Yasuko (Kida) Tomita, Nami (Miura) Koida, Beti ann (Minamoto) Wantroba, unidentified, Yachiyo Morita, and Sakae Kobayashi. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) and attended by …

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-289/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-287)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers in straw hats performing an Odori folk dance. From left to right those facing the camera: Atsuko "Alice" (Matsumoto) Ando and Arthur Ojiro “Art” Sasaki. Obon is an annual event hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as Oregon Buddhist Temple) and attended by the wider Nikkei …

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-287/

img Obon Festival- Odori folk dance (ddr-one-1-230)

Black and white photographic negative of Obon dancers performing in front of a crowd. Dancer first from left is Susan Shizuko (Yoshida) Kurimoto. 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, …

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-230/

img Dance (ddr-one-1-104)

Black and white photographic negative of unidentified couples sitting along a wall at a dance. Second person sitting on the bench from the left is Ruby (Takashima) Sumino, two from her is James "Jim" Kasuo "Kaz" Tsujimura.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-104/

img Spotted Deer (ddr-one-1-541)

Color slide of three spotted bucks and eight spotted does. Two of the bucks stare directly at the camera while the other nine deer eat grass, possibly inside Washington Park. According to donor processed on June 14, 1964.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-541/

img Kenji Onishi sermon (ddr-one-1-94)

Black and white photographic negative of Kenji Onishi standing behind a pulpit reading from a bible at Epworth Methodist Church. Kenji Onishi was a youth leader at Epworth.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-94/

img Obon Festival- Dancers (ddr-one-1-239)

Black and white photographic negative of six Obon dancers posing for the camera with arms outstretched 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 Church …

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-239/

img Obon Festival- Dancers (ddr-one-1-229)

Black and white photographic negative of three Obon dancers posing for the camera. From left to right: Grace Mieko (Muramatsu) Ouchida, Kathleen “Kathie” Haruko (Matsuda) Sato, and Rose Haruye (Muramatsu) Ouchida. 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 …

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-229/

img Garden speech (ddr-one-1-527)

Color slide of 1951 Rose Festival Queen Gloria Krieger dressed in a white skirt, jacket and hat. She stands in front of a man in a white suit and two young girls in purple costumes. Forming an aisle are young women dressed in peach colored dresses, behind them stand men in white suits with various colored …

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-527/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 51 "Restaurant Assoc." (ddr-one-1-154)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 51 driving down W Burnside in front of a crowd outside the Shoreline Hotel and Cafe. The Blue Eagle Cafe is visible in the background of W Burnside and NW Second Ave. Float depicts a giant hotdog with a clown riding on top, two waitresses ride in front, one …

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-154/

img Sorelles Group Photo (ddr-one-1-18)

Black and white photographic negative of the Sorelles, a high school social group. Left to right: Grace (Ebihara) Akiyama, Betty Nakashimada, Jean Yasuko (Kida) Tomita, Nami (Miura) Koida, Masae “Elsie” (Morita) Onishi, Beti ann (Minamoto) Wantroba, Mitsy (Kiyomura) Takeoka, Betty Ishida, Elsie Okazaki, Agnes (Inouye) Kitayama, Atsuko "Alice" Kida, Astuko "Alice" (Matsumoto) Ando, Jean Matsumoto, and …

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-18/

img Sorelles Group Photo (ddr-one-1-19)

Original black and white photographic print of the Sorelles, a high school social group. Left to right: Rose Haruye (Muramatsu) Ouchida, Kathleen "Kathie" Haruko (Matsuda) Sato, Aki (Shiraishi) Dong, Loretta (Fujii) Kaneko, Mary (Nakata) Fujii, Frances (Kinoshita) Mayeda, Grace (Sakano) Robbs, Sumi "Sue" (Kaga) Hasegawa, Lillian (Niimi) Mikariya, Masae “Elsie” (Morita) Onishi, Rose Namba, Jayne (Katada) …

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-19/

img Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet- Kitchen (ddr-one-1-425)

Black and white photographic negative of women plating food in the kitchen of the Seattle Buddhist Church for the Northwest Buddhist Convention Banquet. Behind the stove from right to left: Irene (Yamaguchi) Tatsuta, Betty Kurimoto Yamasaki, and Noriko (Ichikawa) Kurashige.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-425/

img Methodist Banquet (ddr-one-1-343)

Black and white photographic negative of a formal banquet, an unidentified white man is standing at the center of the table, possibly giving a speech or toast. Sitting at the far head of the table is Reverend Francis Hayashi. This may have been a banquet in relation to the Northwest Methodist Rally.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-343/

img Dance (ddr-one-1-98)

Black and white photographic negative of two unidentified couples dancing together at an informal dance, possibly a Sorelles (a high school social group) event.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-98/

img Flowers (ddr-one-1-440)

Color slide of yellow Oregon sunshine (wooly) sunflowers. According to donor processed on June 20, 1951.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-440/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 39 "Neptune's Court" (ddr-one-1-511)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 39 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 female riders sitting with only their torsos exposed. Their legs are covered by …

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-511/

img Portland Rose Festival Parade- float 19 "Newberg" (ddr-one-1-471)

Color slide of Rose Festival Parade float 19 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. Five women ride on the float; one sitting on a large replica of a watermelon slice. The side of …

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-471/

img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-373)

Black and white photographic negative of four women sitting at a picnic table eating with chopsticks at a community picnic at Viking Park hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). From left to right: Frances (Kinoshita) Mayeda, Sumi "Sue" (Kaga) Hasegawa, Mrs. Kiyomura, and Jean (Kiyomura) Tamiyasu.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-373/

img Community Picnic (ddr-one-1-375)

Black and white photographic negative of young families sitting at a picnic table enjoying a community picnic at Viking Park hosted by the Oregon Buddhist Church (now known as the Oregon Buddhist Temple). From left to right is Yoshi Hasuike, Sachi Hasuike, Sachi Hasuike's daughter, Mrs. Jim Hasuike, Jim Hasuike's sons, and Jim Hasuike.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-375/

img Bridal Party of Wong/Okazaki wedding (ddr-one-1-130)

Original black and white photographic print of Lillian (Wong) Okazaki's bridal party preparing her veil. Bridesmaids left to right: Christine Quan, Dorothy Moe, May (Wong) Oka, and Violet (Wong) Yee.

http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-1-130/