Mass removal ("evacuation")

On March 2, 1942, Public Proclamation No. 1 began to appear on telephone poles and buildings. This was the first official notice Japanese Americans had of their immediate removal from the West Coast. The notices stated that they had six or seven days to prepare, and were to take only what they could carry. They were not told where they would be taken. People rushed to sell or store, in one week, property and belongings acquired over a lifetime. Some families tucked their valuables away in their attic or basement and locked the door, hoping to return soon. On the appointed "evacuation" day, thousands of Japanese Americans gathered at designated locations, with the numbered identification tags they had been issued tied to their coats. Watched by curious onlookers, they were met by armed soldiers and transported in buses, private cars, and trains to sixteen temporary "assembly centers" in California, Washington, Oregon and Arizona.

World War II (239)
Mass removal ("evacuation") (692)

Related articles from the Densho Encyclopedia :
Final Report, Japanese Evacuation from the West Coast, 1942 (book)

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692 items
Newspaper clipping
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.
Information sheet about the Tanforan Racetrack/Detention Center (ddr-janm-4-22)
doc Information sheet about the Tanforan Racetrack/Detention Center (ddr-janm-4-22)
Information sheet about the history of the Tanforan Racetrack/Detention Center.
doc "Seabiscuit Rededication" speech by Tsuyako "Sox" Kitashima (September 23, 1991) (ddr-janm-4-17)
Speech entitled "Seabiscuit Rededication" by Tsuyako "Sox" Kitashima (September 23, 1991). Speech was given at the Tanforan Racetrack in San Bruno, California.
Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from June Yoshigai (July 7, 1943) (ddr-janm-1-83)
doc Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from June Yoshigai (July 7, 1943) (ddr-janm-1-83)
Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from June Yoshigai (July 7, 1943). Envelope is postmarked July 7, 1943 from the Gila River Incarceration Camp in Rivers, Arizona.
A Tule Lake Interlude (ddr-densho-291-1)
doc A Tule Lake Interlude (ddr-densho-291-1)
This collection of poems and stories related to life in Tule Lake was published on concentration camp's first anniversary.
Gidra, Vol. I, No. 6 (September 1969) (ddr-densho-297-6)
doc Gidra, Vol. I, No. 6 (September 1969) (ddr-densho-297-6)
Selected article titles: "Isaac Honored" (p. 1), "Birth of Amerasia" (p. 1), "Hoover's Yellow Peril" (p. 2), "Dawn of Awakening" (p. 2), "UCLA Sells Out" (p. 5), "Potential for What" (p. 5), "The Failure of Democracy in a Time of Crisis" (p. 6-7).
Letter to Kinuta Uno at Fort Missoula (ddr-densho-324-4)
doc Letter to Kinuta Uno at Fort Missoula (ddr-densho-324-4)
Correspondence from Kinuta Uno's daughter discussing, school, paperwork and the imminent mass removal of the Japanese American community from Washington.
Letter to Kinuta Uno at Fort Missoula (ddr-densho-324-5)
doc Letter to Kinuta Uno at Fort Missoula (ddr-densho-324-5)
Correspondence from Kinuta Uno's daughter discussing mass removal and the need to sell their car. Also included, a document for the lost title and registration cards.
Letter to Kinuta Uno at Fort Missoula (ddr-densho-324-6)
doc Letter to Kinuta Uno at Fort Missoula (ddr-densho-324-6)
Correspondence from Kinuta Uno's daughter discussing daily life, mass removal to Puyallup "Camp Harmony" Assembly Center asking about life at Fort Missoula, and requesting more letters from him.
Letter sent to Kayuko Uno at Pinedale Assembly Center (ddr-densho-324-70)
doc Letter sent to Kayuko Uno at Pinedale Assembly Center (ddr-densho-324-70)
Correspondence from Carl Prato regarding management of the Uno's farm while they were incarcerated.
Letter to Kinuta Uno at Fort Missoula (ddr-densho-324-8)
doc Letter to Kinuta Uno at Fort Missoula (ddr-densho-324-8)
Correspondence from Kinuta Uno's daughter discussing plans for their removal and how they had to quit school after being banned from going into the city limits.
Letter to Kinuta Uno at Fort Missoula (ddr-densho-324-7)
doc Letter to Kinuta Uno at Fort Missoula (ddr-densho-324-7)
Correspondence from Kinuta Uno's daughter requesting power of attorney to sell their belongings before being removed.
Letter sent to Kinuta Uno at Tule Lake concentration camp (ddr-densho-324-71)
doc Letter sent to Kinuta Uno at Tule Lake concentration camp (ddr-densho-324-71)
Correspondence from Carl Prato regarding sale of the Uno's farm and equipment.
Scrapbook (ddr-densho-361-1)
img Scrapbook (ddr-densho-361-1)
Written on tape on cover: "This scrapbook is original--1942 Nobuko Omoto (Sakai) Bainbridge Island, WA. Please handle with care."
The Evacuation of the Japanese During World War II (ddr-densho-390-141)
doc The Evacuation of the Japanese During World War II (ddr-densho-390-141)
An essay describing the evacuation of Japanese and Japanese Americans during World War II, including a list a recommended further readings.
American Concentration Camps VOLUME 2 January 1, 1942- February 19, 1942 (ddr-densho-372-2)
doc American Concentration Camps VOLUME 2 January 1, 1942- February 19, 1942 (ddr-densho-372-2)
Volume 2 divides into two sections. Description about this volume reads directly from the book as follows: The first section features archival documents that show chiefly how the decision to relocate the West Coast Japanese evolved from conflicting views both outside and inside the executive branch. The second section features reports of the Anti-Axis Committee, Los …
American Concentration Camps VOLUME 1  July, 1940- December 31, 1941 (ddr-densho-372-1)
doc American Concentration Camps VOLUME 1 July, 1940- December 31, 1941 (ddr-densho-372-1)
Volume 1 divides into three sections. Description about this volume reads directly from the book as follows: The first section contains archival documents regarding pre-Pearl Harbor materials that deal largely with discussion between the War and the Justice Departments over responsibilities for enemy aliens in case of war and with internal Army documents about construction of …
American Concentration Camps VOLUME 3 February 20, 1942- March 31, 1942 (ddr-densho-372-3)
doc American Concentration Camps VOLUME 3 February 20, 1942- March 31, 1942 (ddr-densho-372-3)
Volume 3 divides into 4 sections. Description about this volume reads directly from the book as follows: Section 1 contains archival documents from February 20, 1942 to March 19, 1942 regarding the basic decision of how to remove more than 100,000 human beings which was delegated to General De Witt and his staff. Section 2 contains …
Letter to Guyo and Larry Tajiri (ddr-densho-338-165)
doc Letter to Guyo and Larry Tajiri (ddr-densho-338-165)
A letter discussing the forced removal, the Tajiri's effort to keep the Pacific Citizen running in Salt Lake City, and the state of the country.
Letter from Harold S. Fistere to Takami Hibiya (ddr-densho-381-147)
doc Letter from Harold S. Fistere to Takami Hibiya (ddr-densho-381-147)
Harold S. Fistere writes to Takami Hibiya to inform him that the War Relocation Authority has some articles of contraband belonging to him. The letter gives instructions on how to retrieve the articles and what will happen if the articles are not claimed.
Gila New-Courier Supplement, Issei, Nisei, Kibei (ddr-densho-382-12)
doc Gila New-Courier Supplement, Issei, Nisei, Kibei (ddr-densho-382-12)
Transcription of Fortune magazine article from April, 1944. "The U.S. has put 110,000 people of Japanese blood in 'Protective Custody'"
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