Social and recreational activities

Japanese Americans found ways to fill the long days created by the enforced idleness of camp life. They made jewelry from shells found in the desert, built furniture for their rooms using scrap lumber and renovated the exteriors of their barracks. People also played cards, chess, checkers, mahjongg, and the Japanese games 'go' and 'shogi.' Camp inmates held dances, concerts, plays, and arts and crafts exhibitions. In Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho, they even held a beauty contest to select the "Sweetheart of Minidoka."

World War II (231)
Concentration camps (1434)
Social and recreational activities (1155)

Related articles from the Densho Encyclopedia :
Arts and crafts in camp, Music in camp

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1155 items

doc Monthly Report on Topaz Boy Scouts (ddr-densho-356-901)

Monthly Report on Topaz Boy Scouts for the month of March. Includes scout activities, and issues the troop faces due to circumstances.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-901/

doc Invitation to a barbecue at Amache (ddr-densho-356-169)

Invitation to Yuriko Domoto Tsukada to attend a barbecue at Amache.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-169/

doc Program from "Better Citizens in a Better Community: A Conference Community Improvement" (ddr-densho-356-1033)

Program for "Better Citizens in a Better Community: A Conference Community Improvement" Sponsored by the Amache Coordinating Council.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-1033/

doc Letter to Yuri Domoto from Hana Uno (ddr-densho-356-832)

Letter to Yuriko Domoto Tsukada from Hana Uno requesting Yuri's presence at the upcoming YWCA meeting on November 16th.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-832/

doc Agenda and minutes from the Coordinating Council Conference (ddr-densho-356-891)

Agenda and minutes from the Coordinating Council Conference on March 13, 1943. Conference included sessions on: What are the elements of a good community, concrete examples of good community thinking and planning, how can we achieve a good community in Amache, Environment, Character-Building, Research-Adjustment, Resettlement

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-891/

doc Letter to Dorothy Takechi from Florence Hellman regarding Tolan Committee report and other secondary sources (ddr-densho-356-835)

Letter to Dorothy Takechi, Chairman of the Amache Young Women's Christian Association from Florence Hellman, Chief Bibliography and Librarian at the Library of Congress. The letter is in response to an inquiry about procuring copy(s) of the Tolan Committee report(s). The letter provides full titles and pricing for copies of the hearings and reports and provides …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-835/

doc Program for Amache YWCA Rally (ddr-densho-356-828)

Program for the Amache YWCA Rally on November 14, 1942.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-828/

doc Amache YWCA Staff and Committee list and letter to Yuriko Domoto from Alice Suzuki (ddr-densho-356-829)

Amache YWCA staff and committee list that was attached to a letter to Yuriko Domoto Tsukada from Alice Suzuki asking for Yuri to participate in the organization of a YWCA Board.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-829/

doc Letter to Yuri Domoto from Yoshito Shibata (ddr-densho-356-254)

Letter to Yuriko Domoto Tsukada from Yoshito Shibata in which he details his thoughts and feelings about recent news of governmental attempts to bar Japanese Americans from returning to the West Coast and the recent rulings in EO9066 test cases. He then continues the letter by describing a recent carnival near the base and movies he …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-254/

doc Amache YWCA Advisory Board Meeting Minutes (ddr-densho-356-831)

Minutes from the Amache YWCA's Advisory Board Meeting on June 26, 1943. This meeting covered reports on Hospitality House activities, conferences, harvest camp, carnival, and financials. It also covered business on staff, membership forms, blue star mothers, selection of chairman and officers, and the next meeting date.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-831/

doc YWCA Conference tag (ddr-densho-356-826)

YWCA Conference tag identifying Yuriko Domoto as a member of the Amache YWCA.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-826/

doc Letters to Yuri Domoto from Kayoko Riusaki and Sonoko Riusaki (ddr-densho-356-342)

Two letters to Yuriko Domoto Tsukada mailed together, one from her niece Kayoko Riusaki and one from her sister Sonoko Domoto Riusaki. In the first letter Kayoko tells about joining the girl scouts, a cancelled scouting trip, and preparations on starting the 5th grade. In the second letter Sonoko writes about life in Gila River, being …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-342/

doc Invitation to Spring Formal Dance at Amache (ddr-densho-356-167)

Invitation to Spring Formal Dance at Amache.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-167/

doc Amache YWCA Meeting Agenda (ddr-densho-356-827)

Amache YWCA Meeting Agenda for meeting on October 29, 1942. Topics include: YWCA activities prior to relocation, Amache YWCA, suggestions and discussion.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-827/

doc Invitation to a dance at Amache (ddr-densho-356-168)

Invitation to a dance at Amache.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-168/

doc Report of Advisory Board Meeting (ddr-densho-356-834)

Meeting minutes and report from the advisory board meeting.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-356-834/

doc Takeharu Inouye Diary (ddr-densho-365-2)

In the second diary he kept in the camp at Tule Lake, Takeharu Inouye recounts his struggles with education and the boredom resulting from few recreational opportunities. Though he participated in several baseball games with his classmates, Takeharu spent the majority of his free time attending the movie showings that occurred daily or weekly throughout the …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-365-2/

doc Takeharu Inouye Diary (ddr-densho-365-3)

In the final diary that Takeharu Inouye kept during his internment at Tule Lake, he includes descriptions of the movies he went to see daily, which served as his primary form of recreation. Takeharu also describes his feelings over succeeding and failing in his high school classes, since his friends would cheat off of his work, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-365-3/

img Musical revue (ddr-densho-37-127)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-127/

doc Keynote address by Bob H. Suzuki for Nisei Honorary Degree Ceremony (ddr-densho-446-363)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-446-363/

doc The Newell Star, Vol. I, No. 29 (September 14, 1944) (ddr-densho-284-35)

Selected article titles: "8000 Attend Undokai; Ward VIII Wins Title" (pp. 1, 6), "First Escheat Action Filed in Orange County" (p. 1), and "WRA Policy on Eye Glass Indemnity Given" (p. 1).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-284-35/

doc The Newell Star, Vol. II, No. 24 (June 15, 1945) (ddr-densho-284-73)

Selected article titles: "4 C's May Ask for Change in Draft Classification" (p. 1), "New Service for Those Planning to Go Outside" (p. 2), "100th Infantry Returns from European Front" (p. 3), and "Japanese Movies: Two 35mm Films Scheduled June 18-22 at Auditorium" (p. 4). Page 5 is mislabeled as page 6.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-284-73/

doc The Newell Star, Vol. I, No. 16 (June 15, 1944) (ddr-densho-284-23)

Selected article titles: "Graduation for 120 Seniors on Friday" (p. 1), "Repatriation Requests in Transit to Japan" (PP. 1-2), and "All Meetings, Entertainments Must Be Registered with Police" (p. 2).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-284-23/

doc Letter from Joseph Ishikawa to Eva (ddr-densho-468-99)

Letter written from Granada (Amache) describing life in the concentration camp compared to Santa Anita.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-468-99/

doc The Newell Star, Vol. I, No. 42 (December 14, 1944) (ddr-densho-284-44)

Selected article titles: "Renunciation: Queries on Procedure Answered by Burling" (pp. 1-2) and "Mess Operations Festival: Division to Select Queen; Nominations Open Today" (p. 3).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-284-44/