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 (215)
Temporary Assembly Centers (175)
Living conditions (364)

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364 items

vh May Y. Namba Interview Segment 15 (ddr-densho-1000-171-15)

Spending twentieth birthday in camp: receiving a birthday cake from a military police officer

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-171-15/

vh May Y. Namba Interview Segment 16 (ddr-densho-1000-171-16)

Memories of Puyallup Assembly Center: meeting people from Alaska

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-171-16/

vh Yosh Nakagawa Interview Segment 17 (ddr-densho-1000-172-17)

Memories of Puyallup Assembly Center as a child: having fun, selling newspapers

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-172-17/

vh George Morihiro Interview Segment 18 (ddr-densho-1000-182-18)

Life in Puyallup Assembly Center: talking with the guards, being warned away from the fence

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-182-18/

vh George Morihiro Interview Segment 16 (ddr-densho-1000-182-16)

Entering Puyallup Assembly Center: "the day you walked through that gate, you know you lost something"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-182-16/

vh Hideo Hoshide Interview I Segment 43 (ddr-densho-1000-184-43)

Dealing with difficult living conditions in Pinedale: no privacy, incredible heat, shared facilities

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-184-43/

vh Hideo Hoshide Interview I Segment 41 (ddr-densho-1000-184-41)

Impressions of Pinedale Assembly Center; working for the newspaper, the Pinedale Logger

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-184-41/

vh Hideo Hoshide Interview I Segment 42 (ddr-densho-1000-184-42)

Writing for camp paper, the Pinedale Logger

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-184-42/

vh Kazue Yamamoto Interview Segment 9 (ddr-densho-1000-197-9)

Memories of Portland Assembly Center

This interview was conducted as part of a project to capture stories of the Japanese American community of Spokane, Washington. Densho worked in collaboration with the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-197-9/

vh Kajiko Hashisaki Interview Segment 10 (ddr-densho-1000-201-10)

Receiving a visitor in camp; tight security

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-201-10/

vh Lucius Horiuchi Interview Segment 7 (ddr-densho-1000-202-7)

Memories of the Puyallup Assembly Center: receiving visitors

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-202-7/

vh Fumi Kaseguma Interview Segment 11 (ddr-densho-1000-203-11)

Life in the Portland Assembly Center, a former livestock exposition area

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-203-11/

vh Art Abe Interview Segment 17 (ddr-densho-1000-206-17)

Feeling bitter upon being removed: "I couldn't believe what the government was doing to us"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-206-17/

vh Mits Takahashi Interview Segment 14 (ddr-densho-1000-207-14)

Coping with conditions in an assembly center

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-207-14/

vh Sharon Tanagi Aburano Interview II Segment 4 (ddr-densho-1000-209-4)

Seeing mother's emotional reaction to conditions in camp

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-209-4/

vh Gene Akutsu Interview II Segment 4 (ddr-densho-1000-210-4)

Brother's organization of a "tray service" in camp

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-210-4/

vh Aya Uenishi Medrud Interview Segment 10 (ddr-densho-1000-213-10)

Conditions in Puyallup: living in a horse stall

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-213-10/

vh Mary Hamano Interview Segment 14 (ddr-densho-1000-215-14)

Conditions in Santa Anita Assembly Center

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-215-14/

vh Bob Y. Sakata Interview Segment 9 (ddr-densho-1000-216-9)

Temporary living conditions in Tanforan: "it was sort of a lonely feeling"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-216-9/

vh Yae Aihara Interview Segment 8 (ddr-densho-1000-221-8)

First impressions of Puyallup Assembly Center, having a graduation ceremony

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-221-8/

vh Min Tonai Interview II Segment 6 (ddr-densho-1000-302-6)

Coping with difficult conditions in camp

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 Interior.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-302-6/