Work and jobs

Both Issei and Nisei took jobs within the camps, at wages set not to exceed soldiers' pay: $12 per month for unskilled labor, $16 for skilled labor, and $19 for professional employees. WRA staff was paid much more for the same jobs. Though public opinion mandated such low pay, dissatisfied Japanese Americans objected to losing their right to make a decent living. They had to use their sparse income for necessities, such as warm clothing and shoes.

World War II (277)
Concentration camps (1771)
Work and jobs (1416)

Related articles from the Densho Encyclopedia :
Amache Silk Screen Shop

Filters

Facilities

Format

Genre

Usage

Use <Ctrl> or (⌘) keys to select multiple terms

Gallery view
List view

1416 items

img Japanese American clearing land (ddr-densho-37-706)

Original WRA caption: An evacuee drives a heavy tractor pulling a triangle of heavy railroad irons breaking off sagebrush. This is one of the methods of clearing off land of the sagebrush adjacent to the Minidoka Relocation Center.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-706/

img Japanese Americans feeding cows (ddr-densho-37-604)

Original WRA caption: Gila River Relocation Center, Rivers, Arizona. M. Fujita is pictured feeding the cows at the dairy farm school. He works days on the hog farm, and spends his evenings at the school to learn milking and the care of the cows. Prior to evacuation, he was a builder of fishing boats at San …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-604/

img Employees in the Manzanar Housing Department (ddr-densho-420-31)

Caption on reverse: "Housing department / 1943."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-420-31/

img Masa Ogawa and Sandy Sandridge (ddr-densho-420-3)

Masa Ogawa nannied for Sandy Sandridge whose mother was Gladys Sandridge, a teacher living on site at Manzanar concentration camp.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-420-3/

img Sandy Sandridge (ddr-densho-420-2)

Masa Ogawa nannied for Sandy Sandridge whose mother was Gladys Sandridge, a teacher living on site at Manzanar concentration camp.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-420-2/

img Police department at Manzanar (ddr-densho-420-21)

Caption on reverse: "March, 22, 1943 To Masa / from / Joe Tami / Manzanar California / Police Dept. / Look."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-420-21/

img Two men harvesting potatoes near Minidoka (ddr-densho-420-8)

Masa Ogawa's cousin. Caption on reverse: "Here is myself / taken while I / was working at / the local farm / nearby the camp / in 1943 or 44. / Don't I look / a mess huh? / Well I will send / you a better one / soon. / Roy / P.S. me without …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-420-8/

img Masa Ogawa and Sandy Sandridge (ddr-densho-420-1)

Masa Ogawa nannied for Sandy Sandridge whose mother was Gladys Sandridge, a teacher living on site at Manzanar concentration camp.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-420-1/

img Group of cooks inside camp kitchen (ddr-ajah-6-225)

Caption below photo: Cooks pose in Jerome, Arkansas, 1943

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-225/

doc Letter of recommendation by Margaret Sorenson for Grace Sumida (ddr-densho-379-394)

Margaret Sorensen, Director of Community Activities, writes a letter of recommedation for Grace Sumida as a clerk-stenographer.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-379-394/

doc Letter from M. S. Schneider to Masako Sumida (ddr-densho-379-46)

Thank you letter for the special services at the American Friends Hostel while the Brittons were away.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-379-46/

doc Letter from Kats Nagai to J. W. Mayfield, Jr. (ddr-densho-379-340)

Letter requests Mr. Mayfield granting a job interview while Mr. Nagai is accompanying a group of girls from his camp to visit Camp Shelby.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-379-340/

doc Letter from Chimata Sumida to Dillion S. Myer (ddr-densho-379-224)

Cover letter for his government employment application requesting consideration for a position with the War Relocation Authority. He stated "I would like to serve as a liaison worker between the evacuees in and out of the Centers, and the field offices of the War Relocation Authority..."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-379-224/

doc Letter from Kats Nagai to Major Strawn (ddr-densho-379-339)

Thank you and regret letter for granting interview for a position at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. Mr. Nagai referred the opening to Mr. Mouton, Center Employment officer, and to other interested individuals.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-379-339/

doc Interview transcript of Grace Rayko Sumida (ddr-densho-379-392)

Report of Interview of Grace Rayko Sumida before the U.S. Civil Service Commission regarding alleged activities favorable to Japan.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-379-392/

doc Interview of Grace Rayko Sumida before the U.S. Civil Service Commission (ddr-densho-379-54)

Interview and Special Hearing conducted by Lloyd C. Odell, Investigator of the U.S. Civil Service Commission about alleged activities of Grace Rayko Sumida.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-379-54/

img Japanese American in a camp truck (ddr-densho-2-43)

Peggie Yorita sits in a truck used at the Minidoka concentration camp. Peggie Bain believes that the trucks and farming equipment shown in this photo were being readied for sale since the camp was about to close.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-2-43/

img Japanese Americans irrigating carrot field (ddr-densho-2-44)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-2-44/

doc Takeharu Inouye Diary (ddr-densho-365-1)

Takeharu Inouye's first diary documents his family's forced move to the Sacramento Assembly Center, followed by their move to the Tule Lake concentration camp. Since his mother, Miyoe Inouye, was a teacher, thirteen-year-old Takeharu's diary focuses on his classes in the Japanese and American schools at Tule Lake. His struggles with his schoolwork, as well as …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-365-1/

img Group photo in front of A Ward at a medical facility (ddr-densho-515-3)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-515-3/

img Group photo in front of medical facility with signatures on the back (ddr-densho-515-2)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-515-2/

img Tule Lake Housing Warehouse Crew (ddr-densho-517-2)

Group photo of 20 men. Written on back: "Tule Lake 1943 / Housing Warehouse Crew" in black ink. Written on back: "Roy 3rd from left in dark shirt" in pencil.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-517-2/

img Tule Lake Housing Warehouse Crew (ddr-densho-517-1)

Group photo of 15 men. Written on back: "Tule Lake / 1943?" in pencil.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-517-1/

img Group posing for photo outside barracks (ddr-ajah-6-144)

Caption below photo: Topaz, Utah Incarceration Camp Kitchen Crew circa 1943-1945 Most are from Alameda, CA. Individuals identified.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-ajah-6-144/

doc Forum on Japanese Americans in the Victory Program (ddr-densho-423-135)

Argues for use of Japanese American workers in war industry work, that they are loyal as demonstrated by their willingness to be relocated. Sponsored by the Japanese American Committee for Democracy

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-423-135/