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 (240)
Temporary Assembly Centers (234)
Living conditions (406)

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406 items

img Assembly center barracks (ddr-densho-151-25)

Original WRA caption: San Bruno, California. Barracks for family living quarters. Each door enters into a family unit of two small rooms. Tanforan Center was opened two days before this photo was made. The truck seen coming down the dirt road is bringing bed-rolls and baggage to evacuees who have just arrived and are occupying these …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-25/

img Assembly center new arrivals standing in lines (ddr-densho-151-60)

Original WRA caption: San Bruno, California. This assembly center has been open for two days. Bus-load after bus-load of evacuated persons of Japanese ancestry are arriving on this day after going through the necessary procedures, they are guided to the quarters assigned to them in the barracks. Only one mess hall was operating today. Photograph shows …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-60/

img Racetrack at Stockton Assembly Center (ddr-densho-151-28)

Original WRA caption: Stockton, California. Noon on a hot day at the Stockton Assembly Center, which is a converted fairgrounds. This photograph shows the old race track. This center has been opened a week and evacuees will arrive daily until the capacity of 5000 is reached.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-28/

img Baggage inspection (ddr-densho-151-8)

Original WRA caption: Turlock, California. Baggage is inspected as families arrive at Turlock assembly center. Evacuees of Japanese ancestry will be transferred later to War Relocation Authority centers where they will spend the duration.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-8/

img Remodeled horse stalls (ddr-densho-151-59)

Original WRA caption: San Bruno, California. This center is a converted race track. Here are shown what were horsestalls remodeled into living quarters for families. Photograph was made at noon on the third day after the center had been opened.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-59/

img Nisei friends inside barracks (ddr-densho-151-460)

Original caption: Sacramento, California. Masamichi Suzuki, and Bill Sugiyama, roommates of Harey Itano, at the Assembly center. Both boys have attended the University of California and Mr. Sugiyama was accepted by the University of California Medical School prior to evacuation, but is now unable to attend.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-460/

img Assembly center new arrivals (ddr-densho-151-6)

Original WRA caption: Stockton, California. Arrival at Assembly center at 12:45 pm. This assembly center has been open for one week. This group was evacuated from their homes in the Lodi district (grape area) this morning. Their identification numbers and family groups are checked by officials as they get off the bus. They are then directed …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-6/

img View of barracks (ddr-densho-151-350)

Original caption: San Bruno, California. Looking down one of the avenues between rows of barracks. The ones on the right are converted horse stalls, and those on the left are newly constructed and typical of an assembly center and relocation centers throughout the west. They are 100 feet long, covered with black tar paper, contain five …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-350/

img View of barracks (ddr-densho-151-346)

Original caption: San Bruno, California. Shown here is one type of barracks for family use. These were formerly the stalls for race horses. Each family is assigned to two small rooms, the inner one with no outside door nor window. The center has been in operation for about six weeks. 8,000 evacuees are now assembled here.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-346/

img Japanese American in front of barracks home (ddr-densho-151-47)

Original WRA caption: San Bruno, Calfiornia. This assembly center has been opened for two days. Busload after busload of evacuated Japanese are arriving this day. After going through the necessary procedures, they are guided to the quarters assigned to them in the barracks. This family newly arrived, are in the process of settling down. The old …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-47/

img Mother and children outside of barracks (ddr-densho-151-258)

Original caption: Stockton, California. This family of Japanese ancestry has just arrived in the center this morning. The mother and the children are waiting at the door of the room in the barracks to which they have been assigned. The father is at the baggage depot where their bedding and clothing are unloaded and inspected for …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-258/

img Assembly center gate (ddr-densho-151-56)

Original WRA caption: San Bruno, California. A sign at the main entrance of the Tanforan Assembly center, through which all traffic passes. The gate is guarded and controlled by United States soldiers.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-56/

img Bedding and clothing in front of barracks (ddr-densho-151-456)

Original caption: San Bruno, California. This assembly center has been open for two days. Bus- load after bus-load of evacuated Japanese are arriving today. After going through the necessary procedure, they are guided to the quarters assigned to them in the barracks. This family had just arrived. Their bedding and clothing have been delivered by truck …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-456/

img View of barracks (ddr-densho-151-336)

Original caption: San Bruno, California. A close-up of the exterior of a family unit. These barracks were formerly horse-stalls. Each family is assigned two small rooms. The interior one has neither outside door nor window.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-336/

img View of Stockton Assembly Center (ddr-densho-151-7)

Original WRA caption: Stockton, California. Part of the Stockton Assembly center as seen at noon on a hot day. This center has been open to evacuees of Japanese ancestry for one week.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-7/

img View of barracks (ddr-densho-151-230)

Original caption: San Bruno, California. Barracks for family living quarters. Each door enters into a family unit of two small rooms. The center was opened just two days before this picture was taken. The people shown in this photograph have just arrived and are occupying themselves with building benches, chairs, tables, and shelves, for their belonging, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-230/

img Japanese American inside barracks (ddr-densho-151-50)

Original WRA caption: San Bruno, California. A close-up of an entrance of a family apartment. Note that the windows in this unit have been enlarged. Five people occupy two small rooms, the inner one of which is without outside door or windows.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-50/

img Japanese American next to barracks (ddr-densho-151-352)

Original caption: San Bruno, California. Many evacuees suffer from lack of their accustomed activity. The attitude of the man shown in this photograph is typical of the residents in assembly centers, and because there is not much to do and not enough work available, they mill around, they visit, they stroll and they linger to while …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-352/

img Horse stalls at Tanforan Assembly Center (ddr-densho-151-30)

Original WRA caption: San Bruno, California. Near view of horse-stall, left from the days when what is now Tanforan Assembly Center, was the famous Tanforan Race Track. Most of these stalls have been converted into family living quarters for Japanese.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-30/