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Arrival

Labor contractors transported workers from Japan to work on Hawaiian sugar plantations. Many Japanese then emigrated to the mainland and worked for lumber companies, railroads, and canneries. In the early 1900s these immigrants began to establish families through the picture bride system (shashin-kekkon, literally "photograph marriage"). Immigrant bachelors sent photographs and information about themselves to go-betweens (baishakunin) who arranged meetings with the families in Japan. Marriage ceremonies took place in Japan (without bridegrooms), then the new brides traveled to the United States to join their husbands. Many arrived to discover that their husbands had misrepresented their appearances or situations.

Immigration and citizenship (469)
Arrival (212)

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212 items

doc Letter from Robert Cashman to Ryo Tsai (ddr-densho-446-279)

Cashman sent a letter in support of Ai Chih Tsai's immigration case

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-446-279/

doc A.D. 1977: Japanese Christians in America: The Church That Survives Hate (ddr-densho-446-394)

Article in the July/August 1977 issue of A.D. 1977 on the experience of Japanese Christians in America through the end of WWII.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-446-394/

doc Immigration Inspection Form SF2644 (ddr-densho-446-6)

Student visa for Ai Chih Tsai dated September 1, 1938.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-446-6/

doc Elementary School diploma for Fumiko N. Itahara (ddr-ajah-6-514)

Caption below image: Fumiko "Nellie" Itahara's graduation diploma from Porter School, Alameda, CA. June 1928

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-514/

doc Document titled: A Japanese Actor arrives in America (ddr-ajah-6-167)

Includes portrait of Matao Koga taken at the T.Y. Sato Studio in San Francisco, portion of ships manifest from 1923 and biographical details of Koga's life

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-167/

doc Image of Shuzo "Bill" Takeda's Japanese passport titled: A Japanese Passport, translated (ddr-ajah-6-508)

Caption below image: Passport for Shuzo "Bill" Takeda, of Hiroshima, Japan so he could immigrate to America / May 15, 1924. Shozo would later marry Fumiko "Nellie" Itahara and live in Alameda, CA.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-508/

img Portrait of Shuzo Takeda and his mother (ddr-ajah-6-512)

Caption below photo: At right is Shuzo Takeda, 14, just prior to leaving Japan for American. His mother is to the left. He was her eighth son. He arrived in San Francisco, CA aboard the last ship allowed to come from Japan, as laws enacted in 1924 effectively ended Japanese immigration to America

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-512/

img Family standing on sidewalk (ddr-ajah-6-328)

Caption below photo: An Issei man, wearing a straw hat and western shoes and what appears to be his family, perhaps right after the women arrive in America. Note the traditional geta shoes worn by his daughter. Location unknown, but probably San Francisco, CA circa 1915-1924. Japanese Immigration ended in 1924.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-328/

doc Immigration document (ddr-ajah-6-494)

Caption below document: Immigration papers for Yoshio Itahara and his wife, Hama, from Japan to American. He was 33, she was 24. They would live in Alameda, CA., September 10, 1902

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-494/

vh Louise Kashino Segment 1 (ddr-densho-1000-31-1)

Family background: working odd jobs around Washington state

For the first hour of this interview, an additional camera crew from KCTS Television was also present.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-31-1/

vh Michiko Frances Chikahisa Interview Segment 4 (ddr-densho-1000-347-4)

Mother's arrival in the U.S. as a "picture bride"

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-347-4/