Living conditions
The "assembly centers" were hastily erected quarters located throughout the West Coast at fairgrounds, racetracks and other similar facilities. Conditions at these locations were appalling. People were housed in animal stalls and barracks with communal bathrooms and mess halls. Privacy was next to nonexistent. Most families lived in a 20-by-20-foot room separated from the next "apartment" by wood partitions that did not reach the ceiling. Shortages of food and deplorable sanitation were common. Overcrowding, uncertainty, and stress created tension in the "assembly centers," even as the demoralized camp inmates tried to improve living conditions.
World War II
(231)
Temporary Assembly Centers
(232)
Living conditions
(395)
![Notice to report to work (ddr-densho-25-78)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/c0/f5/c0f5e4a882884de35192c5e3dd7fd02e.jpg)
![Letter from Amy Morooka to Violet Sell (ddr-densho-457-2)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/ad/b3/adb3153b19cfa19feb2b76c9a0d2f69f.jpg)
![Letter from Martha Morooka to Violet Sell (ddr-densho-457-11)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/04/3d/043d91bb664537e0e3fa097b2032103f.jpg)
![Letter from Amy Morooka to Violet Sell (ddr-densho-457-6)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/be/7b/be7b0dd8de558406cef584211ff2eab1.jpg)
![Letter from Martha Morooka to Violet Sell (ddr-densho-457-3)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/b9/c1/b9c1759818be7c41f8ec3816f6afccd0.jpg)
![Letter from Ishi Morishita to Mrs. Charles Gates (ddr-densho-211-5)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/ee/fd/eefdc6029789495e2c9c4db750667f45.jpg)
![Letter from Kikuye Matsuda to Mrs. Charles Gates (ddr-densho-211-1)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/96/9a/969a418589320af7df3246086d3855f7.jpg)
![Horses Move Out; Japanese Move In (March 24, 1942) (ddr-densho-56-712)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/58/b7/58b7050a467eb917d681b144142ab764.jpg)
![Mass Japanese Removal Begun (August 9, 1942) (ddr-densho-56-832)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/d6/21/d621bbb9e4ecec03f9f5ab7d62b75426.jpg)
![Japanese Organize Own Government at Puyallup (May 6, 1942) (ddr-densho-56-787)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/e8/cd/e8cd87291927d6b10eda6e9ac6fcea03.jpg)
![Where Nipponese Will Await Traveling Orders. Puyallup Assembly Center For Japanese Rises Rapidly. (April 2, 1942) (ddr-densho-56-739)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/84/45/8445f75af67311572261c0a6c208161d.jpg)
![Tojo a Rat in Puyallup Evacuee's War-Bond Poster (July 19, 1942) (ddr-densho-56-824)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/e0/c1/e0c187013308ce94601d9333f8430e9d.jpg)
![Letter from Rose Tani to Rev. Miller, 1942 May 10 (ddr-csujad-20-17)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/91/55/91552c44c6e13d5995228704e33995ef.jpg)
![Letter from Seda Suzuki to Rev. and Mrs. Miller, 1942 September 11 (ddr-csujad-20-19)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/5b/6d/5b6dd5623634084c7d511878ef69607e.jpg)
![Letter from the Suzuki's to Rev. and Mrs. Miller, circa 1942 (ddr-csujad-20-13)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/10/b0/10b093b8436a737c97d865c2d7665097.jpg)
![Letter from June Harino to Rev. Miller, 1942 October 15 (ddr-csujad-20-22)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/ea/12/ea12c428d0a054ea1815743161da3cbb.jpg)
![Letter from June Harino to Rev. Miller, 1942 June 9 (ddr-csujad-20-20)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/a0/2a/a02acdd63f4cba9cfad44cba73b049b2.jpg)
![Letter from Lester Suzuki to Brother [Wendell L.] Miller, May 4, 1942 (ddr-csujad-20-3)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/ba/a9/baa95644ece51dbe7ffca89e00ac3476.jpg)
![Letter from T. Takahashi and Family to Rev. Wendell L. Miller, May 14, 1942 (ddr-csujad-20-5)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/23/e7/23e70d00dbe5488a35660d99ae2ddc09.jpg)
![News Clippings (ddr-csujad-20-24)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/9a/a2/9aa23ea175411f6167e27e762fb04f15.jpg)
![Letter to Wendell L. Miller, 1942 April 27 (ddr-csujad-20-21)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/9d/b0/9db0a630102229c3e11ee493801c0b6c.jpg)
![Letter from George K. Sakai, 1942 May 4 (ddr-csujad-20-14)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/fe/7f/fe7f6a9278a429b19be65dd5c54e8dc7.jpg)
![Comic Strip, 1943 December 26 (ddr-csujad-20-12)](https://ddr.densho.org/media/cache/7e/38/7e38a92756b34fc22e7f8bddccc9838f.jpg)