The journey
The journey from temporary "assembly centers" to permanent concentration camps was a difficult and disorienting experience. Japanese Americans were transported in buses and trains to desolate regions of the country guarded by armed soldiers. Forced to keep the window shades drawn, camp inmates were unaware of where they were going, and were often shocked by the harsh landscape upon arrival.
World War II
(240)
Concentration camps
(1640)
The journey
(112)
112 items
112 items

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Travel roster sheet (ddr-densho-25-83)
This roster sheet specified the people traveling in one train car to Tule Lake, California.

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Ten-minute rest stop (ddr-densho-253-5)
Caption: "Ten-minute rest stop permitted the Japanese to stretch briefly. Halts were made at two-hour intervals. Some Japanese strolled into sagebrush, others tinkered with motors, smoked, talked."

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Internees filled mattress tickings (ddr-densho-253-3)
Caption: "Internees filled matress tickings with straw as the last daylight fades over the Sierras. Upon these ticks, covering metal Army cots, Japanese slept. Only essential furniture was supplied. Additional comforts were fashioned in Manzanar workshops."

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Journey's end (ddr-densho-253-2)
Caption: "Journey's end is Manzanar, attained by the desert-dusty convoy as the long shade of the Sierras reaches across Owens Valley from the west."

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Convoy to Manzanar (ddr-densho-253-4)
Caption: "A car loaded with furniture and luggage on the road to Manzanar."

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Across the Mojave Desert (ddr-densho-253-7)
Caption: "Across the Mojave Desert the four-mile-long convoy cut northward, following the arrow-straight flight of the Sierra Highway to the cool, snow-topped mountains. Pacing the procession at 30 m.p.h. was a jeep with red headlights. Behind it rolled a staff sedan carrying the provost marshal in command of the convoy. Behind that follows a press car. …

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Japanese Internees Start For New Home in Idaho. Japs Backtrack Oregon Trail to Idaho Camp (August 16, 1942) (ddr-densho-56-834)
The Seattle Daily Times, August 16, 1942, pp. 1, 14

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Envelope and letters to Dr. Keizaburo "Kei" Koyama from Miriam Kiyo Koyama and William Koyama (ddr-one-5-28)
Envelope addressed to Dr. Keizaburo Koyama at Camp Livingston from his children, William Koyama and Miriam Kiyo Koyama, at Minidoka. Postmarked Sep 11, 1942. To the left of the postmark “Sept 14, 42” is written in red pencil. On the left side of the envelope is a purple "Censored" stamp. Inside the envelope are two letters, …

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Tule Lake monograph (ddr-csujad-26-1)
Unpublished manuscript includes a collection of diary entries, letters, and essays written by school students incarcerated at the Tule Lake camp and collected through the Japanese American Evacuation and Resettlement Study (JERS). The writings include first-person descriptions of travel to the Tule Lake camp, adapting to camp, limitations of camp, day-to-day camp life, family life, community …

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University of California, evacuation and settlement study: case history I (ddr-csujad-26-26)
Correspondence regarding a profile of incarceree Harry Osaka written by Robert Spencer. The profile was taken during a trip to Fresno for Harry's mother's funeral with Spencer as the escort and includes Harry's life and family story, farm business before incarceration, religious practices, holiday practices, description of funeral. Profile included as part of the Japanese American …

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Information sheet about the Tanforan Racetrack/Detention Center (ddr-janm-4-22)
Information sheet about the history of the Tanforan Racetrack/Detention Center.

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Postcard to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (September 28, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-11)
Postcard to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (September 28, 1942). It is postmarked October 1, 1942 from the Granada (Amache) Incarceration Camp in Amache, Colorado.

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Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (July 17, 1943) (ddr-janm-1-16)
Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Sandie Saito (July 17, 1943). Envelope (addressed "The 'Flea' ") is postmarked July 19, 1943 from the Granada (Amache) Incarceration Camp in Amache, Colorado.

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Unloading luggage (ddr-fom-1-887)
WRA caption on reverse: "The baggage of approximately six hundred evacuees from the assembly center at Puyallup, Washington, is taken from the train by truck to their new homes at the Minidoka War Relocation Authority Center."

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Incarcerees transferring from trains to buses on their way to Minidoka (ddr-fom-1-889)
WRA caption on reverse: "This evacuee has just arrived by train with 600 others from the Puyallup assembly center and is boarding one of the waiting buses for the Minidoka War Relocation Authority center."

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A woman boarding a bus to go to Minidoka (ddr-fom-1-888)
WRA caption on reverse: "This evacuee has just arrived by train with 600 others from the Puyallup assembly center and is boarding one of the waiting buses for the Minidoka War Relocation Authority center."

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Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Miyeko Imamura (August 30, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-63)
Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Miyeko Imamura (August 30, 1942). Envelope is postmarked August 31, 1942 from the Heart Mountain Incarceration Camp in Cody, Wyoming.

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Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Sadae (Lillian) Nishioka (June 8, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-94)
Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Sadae (Lillian) Nishioka (June 8, 1942). Envelope is postmarked June 11, 1942 and addressed from Lillian Nishioka from the Poston (Colorado River) Incarceration Camp in Parker, Arizona.

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Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from June Yoshigai (August 31, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-86)
Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from June Yoshigai (August 31, 1942). Envelope is postmarked September 1, 1942 from the Santa Anita Assembly Center in Arcadia, California.

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Postcard to Molly Wilson from June Yoshigai (October 1, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-87)
Postcard to Mollie Wilson from June Yoshigai (October 1, 1942). It is postmarked October 2, 1942 from the Santa Anita Assembly Center in Arcadia, California.

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Letter (with envelope) to Molly Wilson from Mary Murakami (June 2, 1942) (ddr-janm-1-30)
Handwritten letter to Molly Wilson from Mary Murakami (June 2, 1942). Envelope is postmarked June 4, 1942 from the Poston (Colorado River) Incarceration Camp in Parker, Arizona.