Living conditions

All of the camps were constructed according to the War Department's specifications, which included barbed-wire fences, guard towers, and armed guards around the perimeter. The camps were organized in "blocks" consisting of twelve to fourteen barracks, a mess hall, communal showers and toilets, laundry facilities, and a recreation hall. Each barracks was divided into four or six rooms with each room housing one family, no matter how large, and there was no running water. The furnishings that Japanese Americans found on their arrival were canvas cots, a potbellied stove, and a single bare light bulb. The thin walls offered little protection from the harsh weather, which ranged from 110 degrees in the summer to 25 degrees below zero on winter nights. The flimsy construction allowed no privacy and made normal family life difficult. Camp inmates improved their own living conditions by creating interior walls and partitions, constructing furniture from scrap lumber, and planting gardens.

World War II (283)
Concentration camps (2384)
Living conditions (1897)

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1897 items

img Three boys playing (ddr-csujad-26-103)

Three Japanese American boys sit and play in the dirt in front of a basketball hoop. Barracks buildings are in the background. From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_040

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-103/

Evacuation and resettlement study, structural report, section II: the first six months at Tule Lake: social changes and a chronology of events (ddr-csujad-26-4)

doc Evacuation and resettlement study, structural report, section II: the first six months at Tule Lake: social changes and a chronology of events (ddr-csujad-26-4)

Report chronicling the first six months Tule Lake camp including the establishment of community activities, employment, schools, and barracks infrastructure. Describes challenges of adjusting to life in camp often using direct quotations from incarcerees to express struggles amid social and cultural groups as well as conflicts and strikes. Several events are also described including a description …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-4/

img Large group photo (ddr-csujad-26-143)

Photo of a large group of Japanese Americans and Caucasian men and women pose in front of a barracks building with a baby and a dog. From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_116

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-143/

doc Tule Lake recreation center community affairs report for the period August 20, 1942 to September 20, 1942 (ddr-csujad-26-11)

Summary of community youth recreation activities at Tule Lake before school began including descriptions of administration, leadership and training, the "Community Activities Commission," advisory board, planning board, staff, organization, and activities. Report compiled as a portion of the Japanese American Evacuation and Resettlement Study (JERS). See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-11/

doc Structural report, chapter I: an introduction to Tule Lake (ddr-csujad-26-3)

Portion of a report compiled as part of the Japanese American Evacuation and Resettlement Study (JERS) describing the landscape, climate, barracks, facilities, schedule, and daily life routines of incarcerees at the Tule Lake incarceration camp. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_01_34_001

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-3/

doc Victim of the Japanese Evacuation and Resettlement Study (JERS) (ddr-csujad-26-31)

An affidavit written to invalidate purported distortions and false accusations made against the author in two books published using research material collected by Rosalie Hankey Wax during de Cristoforo's incarceration at Tule Lake. The books are "Doing Fieldwork: Warnings and Advice" by Rosalie H. Wax and "The Spoilage" by Dorothy Swaine Thomas and Richard S. Nishimoto …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-31/

doc Scrap lumber conflict (ddr-csujad-26-17)

Report utilizing journal entries to describe competition and conflicts between incarcerees over scrap lumber leftover from camp construction. Describes lumber usage by incarcerees includes construction of furniture and porches, creation of partitions in the barracks for privacy, and accumulation for use during winter. The report includes observations of inequality, disorganization, and the lack of administrative oversight …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-17/

img Woman and young men (ddr-csujad-26-82)

A Caucasian woman and three young Japanese American men pose in front of a barracks building. From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_019

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-82/

img Women and dog (ddr-csujad-26-114)

Four women and a dog pose in front of an automobile while Robert Billigmeier points toward the camera. Barracks are in background. Additional photos in sequence include: ucsb_mei_0109, ucsb_mei_0111, ucsb_mei_0113, ucsb_mei_0115. From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_078

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-114/

doc 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 …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-1/

doc Chapter 6 and 7 personality cards (ddr-csujad-26-34)

Journal entries written by high school students discussing their observations and perspectives on a variety of topics including living in barracks, block noise, lack of privacy, mess hall dining, nosy neighbors, jobs, leisure time, sports, movies, church attendance, the Young Buddhist Association (YBA), family dynamics, social changes, dating, and rumors. Each entry includes the full date …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-34/

img Cooperatively owned canteen (ddr-csujad-26-130)

Photo of people working and shopping inside a canteen. Goods are seen divided by type. Verso reads "cooperatively owned canteen." From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_100

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-130/

doc 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 …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-26/

img View of the camp showing Castle Rock (ddr-csujad-26-102)

Photo of camp buildings and road down the middle backed by hilly landscape. Caption on back of photo reads, "View of the camp showing Castle Rock. A Nisei objected to this picture because the daisies in the corner relieve the dusty monotony of the camp." From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-102/

img Nobie Masaki (ddr-csujad-26-140)

Photo of a young Japanese American woman posing in front of a barracks buildings. Handwriting on the photo reads, "Dear Mrs. Billigmeier, Always, Nobie Masaki." From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_110

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-140/

img Landscape with barracks building (ddr-csujad-26-121)

Photo of the desert landscape with a portion of a barracks building. Leftover wood crates are stacked next to the building while the camp border fence can be sen in the distance. From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_090

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-121/

img Group photo with dog (ddr-csujad-26-113)

Robert Billigmeier, a Japanese American man, and two Caucasian woman pose with a dog, an automobile, and barracks in the background. Additional photos in sequence include: ucsb_mei_0109, ucsb_mei_0111, ucsb_mei_0114, ucsb_mei_0115. From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_077

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-113/

doc Chapter 2, 3, 4, 5 personality cards (ddr-csujad-26-32)

Journal entries written by high school students discussing their observations and perspectives on a variety of topics including weather, social interactions, barracks noise, the desire to leave camp, prospect of discrimination, reflections on "one year since 'evacuation,'" and the journey to camp. Each entry includes the full date and student name. The entries were part of …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-32/

img Young women (ddr-csujad-26-142)

Four young Japanese American women pose with a Caucasian woman in front of an automobile. Barracks building is in the background. From photo album of Robert Billigmeier. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: mei_05_112

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-26-142/

img Minidoka incarceration camp barracks (ddr-csujad-32-6)

Photograph of camp barracks at the Minidoka incarceration camp. Photo featured on page 4 of the Minidoka Incarceration Camp Photograph Album (csudh_ben_001). See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: ben_01_001_005_014

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-32-6/

img Minidoka incarceration camp barracks (ddr-csujad-32-9)

Photograph of camp barracks in snow at the Minidoka incarceration camp. Photo featured on page 5 of the Minidoka Incarceration Camp Photograph Album (csudh_ben_001). See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: ben_01_001_006_018

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-32-9/

img Women in snow (ddr-csujad-32-10)

Photograph of three women in the snow at the Minidoka incarceration camp. Trucks and other camp buildings can be seen in the background. Photo featured on page 5 of Minidoka Incarceration Camp Photograph Album (csudh_ben_001). See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: ben_01_001_006_019

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-32-10/

img Minidoka incarceration camp photograph album (ddr-csujad-32-1)

The photograph album contains 69 photographs from mostly the Minidoka incarceration camp. It may have been compiled by Lona Haug, vice-principal of the Blk 10 school at the Minidoka incarceration camp in 1943. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: ben_01_001

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-32-1/

img Minidoka incarceration camp barracks (ddr-csujad-32-7)

Photograph of the Minidoka incarceration camp barracks from a distance. Photo featured on page 5 of the Minidoka Incarceration Camp Photograph Album (csudh_ben_001). See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: ben_01_001_006_015

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-32-7/

img Women standing in front of camp barrack (ddr-csujad-32-8)

Photograph of three women, [Ev, Louise, and Gwen] in front of a barrack at the Minidoka incarceration camp. Photo featured on page 5 of the Minidoka Incarceration Camp Photograph Album (csudh_ben_001). See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: ben_01_001_006_017

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-32-8/