Charles Mace - Japanese Internment

Part 1: Closing of an Internment Center

 A little girl is consoled as the closing of the Jerome Center separates her from her pet, Major, a friendly dog owned by Henry Ishino, which had become the pet of all the children in the block. Denson, Arkansas, 1944

 Closing of the Jerome Center, Denson, Arkansas. Military Police assist evacuees entering the chair cars on the June 13th trip to the Gila River Center. Denson, Arkansas, 1944

 Closing of the Jerome Center, Denson, Arkansas. Clara Hasegawa and Tad Mijake take a last look at the Jerome Center from the balcony of one of the camp's guard towers. 1944

 Closing of the Jerome Center, Denson, Arkansas. Residents remaining in the 

Jerome Center awaiting transportation to other localities crowd the streets 

as they return to their homes after the departure of a train. 1944

 Passengers for the Gila River train leave the trucks and approach the cars 

to which they have been assigned. Denson, Arkansas, 1944

 Evacuees still remaining in the Jerome Center wave to friends on the train 

from behind the wire fence surrounding the camp. Denson, Arkansas, 1944

The whistle blows, the train jerks forward, and Jerome residents awaiting movement to other centers wave to their friends who are en route to Gila River Center. Denson, Arkansas, 1944

Part 2: Going Home

 First Japanese-American family leaves Central Utah Relocation Center 

for California. Topaz, Utah, 1945

 Daddy will be glad to know we're going home. So said Mrs. Marianne Arimoto to her children as she packed a photograph of Pvt. Edgar Arimoto, army volunteer in France. 1945

 First Japanese-American family packs in preparation to leave 

Central Utah Relocation Center for California. Topaz, Utah, 1945

 Lining the rails of the SS Shawnee, in Los Angeles Harbor, to bid farewell to friends, are a group of persons of Japanese ancestry who were evacuated from Hawaii during the war. 1945

Japanese-American women prepare to return to their California ranch home. Topaz, Utah, 1945

Frances Stewart - Japanese Internment

 Free-hand drawing class. Hunt, Idaho, 1943

 Harvest Festival Queens at Camp 1, Thanksgiving day. l-r, Irene Takayama; Peggy Tagami; Chiyi Sekino, Queen; Claire Fujishige; Janet Miura. Rivers, Arizona, 1942

 Ice cream bar passes hands in the community store at Manzanar. 1942

 Kindergarten and nursery children having a grand time on the see-saw, Rivers, Arizona, 1943

 Kitchen crew preparing lunch. Menu is baked macaroni with Spanish sauce, spinach, pickled beets, bread-pudding, tea, bread and butter. Dave K. Yoshida, chef. Hunt, Idaho, 1943

 Kiyoko Tatsukawa, former high school student from Huntington Beach, California, and a graduate of the spring 1943 class in Nurse's Aid at the Poston Hospital

 Little girls playing house at this War Relocation Authority center where evacuees of Japanese ancestry are spending the duration, Poston, Arizona, 1942

 Lucy Yonemitshu, former student from Los Angeles, California, enjoys a few free moments from her household duties and listens to swing music from her familiar and favorite Los Angeles radio station. Manzanar, California, 1943

 Mary Nakagaki studying in the library, Rivers, Arizona, 1942

 Members of the Chick-a-dee soft ball team from Los Angeles choose sides for a practice game at Manzanar, where, since evacuation, the girls have kept their team intact. 1942

 Members of the fire department spend their leisure time by a friendly game of cards. 

Topaz, Utah, 1943

 Memorial Day services at Manzanar. American Legion members 

and Boy Scouts participated in the services. 1942

 Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, accompanied by Dillon Myer, National Director of the War Relocation Authority, visits the Gila Relocation Center, where they were greeted by crowds of enthusiastic evacuees, 1943

 Mrs. Yamatoto, former P.T.A. president from San Francisco, and now head of the Canal Women's Club, presents Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt with a bouquet of flowers, Rivers, Arizona, 1943

 New Year's Fair. Pretty Nami Nadaoka is shown with the program sign at the fair, 

which was held in Camp No. 2, Poston, Arizona, 1943

 Pupils of the high first grade are shown busily at work on their geography lessons. 

Topaz, Utah, 1943

Pvt. Joe Watanabe and his family, Rivers, Arizona, 1944

Dorothea Lange - Japanese Internment

 Family of Japanese ancestry arrives at assembly center at Tanforan Race Track. 1942

 Grandfather and grandchildren awaiting evacuation bus. The grandfather conducted a dyeing and cleaning business. Hayward, California, 1942

 Grandfather and grandson of Japanese ancestry at this War Relocation Authority center. 

Manzanar, California, 1942

 Family of Japanese ancestry arrives at assembly center at Tanforan Race Track. Evacuees will be transferred later to War Relocation Centers where they will be housed for the duration. 1942

 Husbands of these two women are being held as dangerous enemy aliens. Wives and children were evacuated with other persons of Japanese ancestry. San Francisco, California, 1942

 Inhabitants of the Japanese section wave farewell at the departure of their friends and neighbors whom they are soon to follow to Tanforan Assembly Center. San Francisco, California, 1942

 Henry Mitarai, age 36, successful large-scale farm operator with his family on their ranch 

about six weeks before evacuation. Mountain View, California, 1942

 Meal times are the big events of the day within an assembly center. Shown here is a line-up of evacuees waiting for the B shift. San Bruno, California, 1942

 Many children of Japanese ancestry attended Raphael Weill public school, 

Geary and Buchanan Streets, prior to evacuation. This scene shows first-graders 

during flag pledge ceremony. San Francisco, California, 1942

 Japanese mother, wife of interned Shinto priest, with youngest of her nine children who are American born. She has been in the United States ten years and does not speak English. San Francisco, California, 1942

 Members of the Esaki family arrive at Turlock assembly center. The parents, 

who came to this country 38 years ago, owned a fruit ranch near Winters 

on which all but two of this group lived. 1942

 Members of farm families await evacuation bus. In March they came from 

Santa Barbara County to Alameda County, so that all members of the family 

could be evacuated together. Centerville, California, 1942

 Mealtime in one of the mess halls at this War Relocation Authority center 

for evacuees of Japanese ancestry. Manzanar, California, 1942

 Mrs. Dave Tatsuno prepares a final meal prior to evacuation of residents 

of Japanese ancestry. She and her husband, a University of California graduate, 

both were born in this country. San Francisco, California, 1942

 Pre-school children on the way to their barrack homes from morning class. 

Manzanar, California, 1942

 Stringing poles in a bean field in Santa Clara County. Farmers and other evacuees 

will be given opportunities to follow their callings at War Relocation 

Authority centers. Sunnyvale, California, 1942

Staff of The Manzanar Free Press at work.  It is published twice a week and 

printed mostly in English with one page translated into Japanese. 1942

Tom Parker

Mr. Parker was another photographer documenting the Japanese Internment experience.

 Grade school children leaving the school, at the Jerome Relocation Center. During the rainy season, the Jerome Center was one vast quagmire. Denson, Arkansas, 1943

 Home visiting day, when parents will visit the school, is a big event, 

and these nursery school children are decked out in their special costumes 

for the special occasion. Denson, Arkansas, 1943

 Junior high school students at their first social hour cut loose with a bit of rug cutting. 

Amache, Colorado, 1942

 Knitting warm woolen clothing for her children against the coming winter, this Japanese mother, at the Topaz Relocation Center, takes advantage of the warm Utah sun. 1943

 Miss Mary Saito and Miss Alice Yamaoka, young Nisei residents at the Granada Relocation Center, register for defense employment with the assistance of Mr. Moon, W.R.A. Employment Division Representative. Amache, Colorado, 1943

 Masao Hatano, teacher of Ikebana, points out details to student Fumiko Yoshigawa. 

The art of Ikebana, or plant arrangements, combines story telling 

and decoration. Denson, Arkansas, 1943

 Lunch time and the workers of the first contingent display healthy appetites. 

Amache, Colorado, 1942

 Montana beet farmer, Spencer, gives these young evacuees of Japanese ancestry, who have volunteered for farm work, instructions in the art of topping sugar beets. 1942

 Nine month old Takashi Yoshida symbolizes the spirit of Christmas 

at the Granada Relocation Center. Amache, Colorado, 1943

 Mrs. S. Nako entertains a friend, Mrs. William Hosokawa, for an afternoon's knitting. 

Heart Mountain, Wyoming, 1943

 Mrs. Kobayashi and the youngest of her family. Amache, Colorado, 1942

 Playground games during the winter calls for a lot of action to keep warm. A young fourth grader makes the most of the 15 minute morning recess. Amache, Colorado, 1942

 Over and under with a volley ball is an exciting game of these grade school children during the morning recess. Amache, Colorado, 1942

 Residents of Japanese ancestry, at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center, were quick to grasp the recreational advantages of Wyoming's cold winter. 1943

Residents of Japanese ancestry, at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center, were quick to grasp the recreational advantages of Wyoming's cold winter. 1943

 Ruby Hifumi, 16 year old high school student with a special New Year's flower arrangement. The flower arrangement of the three materials symbolizes in order, hardiness, courage and strength. Heart Mountain, Wyoming, 1943

One thing about Arkansas mules - you don't have to keep your eye glued to the road - so say these young Nisei boys as they deliver firewood to barracks within the center. Denson, Arkansas, 1942