The journey

The journey to temporary "assembly centers" was a difficult and disorienting experience. After gathering at designated locations, Japanese Americans were met by armed soldiers and transported in buses, private cars, and trains to sixteen temporary "assembly centers." When they arrived at their new homes -- often hastily refurbished fairgrounds and racetracks -- they were shocked to see barbed-wire fences, guard towers, and searchlights.

World War II (277)
Temporary Assembly Centers (250)
The journey (123)

Filters

Facilities

Format

Genre

Usage

Use <Ctrl> or (⌘) keys to select multiple terms

Gallery view
List view

123 items

img Japanese American family preparing for the journey to the Pomona Assembly Center (ddr-densho-242-4)

Caption by Ike Hatchimonji: "May 1942 - El Monte, California - In front of family store. Hatchimonji family about to leave for the Pomona Assembly Center then the WRA camp at Heart Mountain, Wyoming. L-R: Tasuke Ike, Megumi Mike, Kumezo father, Nobue mother, and daughter Gloria, wearing the family ID tags."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-242-4/

img "Family leaving for the Pomona Assembly Center" (ddr-densho-242-14)

Caption by Ike Hatchimonji: "May 1942, Covina, CA. Family leaving for the Pomona Assembly Center."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-242-14/

img Two teen boys (ddr-densho-242-9)

Caption by Ike Hatchimonji: "Ike and Mike on day of departure to a camp May 1942."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-242-9/

img New arrivals in Tanforan (ddr-densho-162-53)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-162-53/

img Mass removal (ddr-densho-162-51)

These buses are en route to the Tanforan Assembly Center, California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-162-51/

doc University of California, evacuation and settlement study: case history I (ddr-csujad-26-26)

Correspondence regarding a profile of incarceree Harry Osaka written by Robert Spencer. The profile was taken during a trip to Fresno for Harry's mother's funeral with Spencer as the escort and includes Harry's life and family story, farm business before incarceration, religious practices, holiday practices, description of funeral. Profile included as part of the Japanese American …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-26/

doc Newspaper clipping "Tanforan, 1942" (ddr-janm-4-42)

Newspaper clipping titled "Tanforan, 1942". The article was written by Soji Kashiwagi on December 17, 1984.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-4-42/

doc Postcard to Molly Wilson from Haruko Nagahiro (May 20, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-53)

Postcard to Molly Wilson from Haruko Nagahiro (May 20, 1942). It is postmarked May 20, 1942 from the Pomona Assembly Center in Pomona, California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-53/

doc Letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (May 9, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-101)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (May 9, 1942) from the Owens Valley Assembly Center in Manzanar, California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-101/

doc Letter to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (May 12, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-9)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (May 12, 1942) from the Santa Anita Assembly Center in Arcadia, California. Letter has return address in the upper left hand corner but not stamped nor postmarked.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-janm-1-9/

doc Letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (April 28, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-100)

Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Chiyeko Akahoshi (April 28, 1942) from the Owens Valley Assembly Center in Manzanar, California.

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

doc Letter to Kinuta Uno at Fort Missoula (ddr-densho-324-17)

Correspondence from Kinuta Uno's wife and daughter discussing life at Pinedale Assembly Center.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-324-17/

doc Postcard send to Kinuta Uno at Fort Missoula (ddr-densho-324-26)

Correspondence from Kinuta Uno's daughter about their arrival at Pinedale Assembly Center.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-324-26/

img Mass removal (ddr-densho-36-16)

Sumiko Furuta of Bainbridge Island, Washington, on a special ferry to Seattle. From Seattle, she will board a train headed for Manzanar Assembly Center, California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-36-16/

img Mass removal (ddr-densho-36-17)

Ritsuko Terayama (left) and Sumiko Furuta as they leave the island on a ferryboat. (Lucille Galbraith, Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community (BIJAC). On March 30, 1942, Japanese Americans from Bainbridge Island became one of the first groups to be excluded, presumably because of their proximity to the Puget Sound Navy Yard (Terminal Island, near Los Angeles, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-36-17/

img Japanese Americans boarding train for Manzanar, California (ddr-densho-36-15)

Japanese Americans from Bainbridge Island, Washington are being transported to the Manzanar Assembly Center, California.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-36-15/

img En route to Manzanar Assembly Center (ddr-densho-36-8)

Japanese Americans from Bainbridge Island, Washington are being transported to the Manzanar Assembly Center, California. Manzanar Assembly Center became a WRA incarceration camp on June 1, 1942.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-36-8/

doc Drawing of the laundry buildings at Tanforan Assembly Center (ddr-densho-392-10)

Caption written by Kenneth Iyeki: "These are the laundry buildings from which all the internees left for Topaz, Utah. As the time for the trip to Utah neared, fences were put up around these three makeshift structures and people were leaving the camp every day like herds of cattle."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-392-10/

doc Instructions to all persons of Japanese ancestry (ddr-densho-381-1)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-381-1/

doc Letter from Emmy Sumida Ito to Chimata Sumida (ddr-densho-379-23)

Letter written four weeks after she was sent to Santa Anita Assembly Center. She and her husband Ken Ito lived in a 20' x 8' room with 3 windows. The rest of the Sumida family arrived one week later, and she visits them almost every day.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-379-23/

doc Timeline of camp relocation (ddr-densho-493-23)

Memo book open to page with handwritten timeline of camp relocation, with dates, durations, origins and destinations of each journey. "May 22, 1942 - 5 p.m. / Auburn - Pinedale / May 24 - 2 nites on train / c-i- / July 16, 1942 - 8 a.m. / Pinedale - Tule Lake / July 17 - …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-493-23/

img Last San Francisco family arriving at Tanforan (ddr-densho-151-158)

Original caption: San Bruno, California. The last family off of the bus from San Francisco, have just arrived at this assembly center which will be their home until relocation centers inland have been established and are ready for occupancy.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-158/

img Mother with infant arrives at Stockton (ddr-densho-151-251)

Original caption: Stockton, California. Young mother of Japanese ancestry arrives at Assembly center with 21 day old baby.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-251/

img Issei woman boarding bus (ddr-densho-151-261)

Original caption: San Francisco, California. Friends and neighbors congregate to bid farewell, though not for long, to their friends who are enroute to the Tanforan Assembly center. They, themselves will be evacuated within three days.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-261/

img Japanese Americans waving goodbye from train (ddr-densho-151-299)

Original caption: Woodland, Yolo County, California. Ten cars of evacuees of Japanese ancestry are now aboard and the doors are closed. Their Caucasian friends and the staff of the Wartime Civil Control Administration stations are watching the departure from the platform. Evacuees are leaving their homes and ranches, in a rich agricultural district, bound for Merced …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-299/