San Petro Internees Arrive at Santa Anita Assembly Center

Image size: 1600 x 1145 pixel. 609 KB
Date: Sunday, 5 April 1942
Place: Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, USA
Photographer: Clem Albers

Japanese American internees, residents of San Pedro, arrive at Santa Anita Assembly Center. Milton Eisenhower, brother of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, head of War Relocation Authority (WRA), said in 1942, "In San Pedro, houses and hotels, occupied almost exclusively by Japanese, were within a stone’s throw of a naval air base, shipyards, oil wells. Japanese fishermen had every opportunity to watch the movement of our ships. Japanese farmers were living close to vital aircraft plants. So, as a first step, all Japanese were required to move from critical areas such as these." San Pedro's Terminal Island was selected as a test to see how Japanese Americans would react to relocation. On February 26, 1942, the US Navy gave residents 48 hours to leave. Home to a Japanese immigrant fishing community of about 3,000 people, half had American or Canadian citizenship. Dr. Yoshihiko Fujikawa, a resident, said "It was during these 48 hours that I witnessed unscrupulous vultures in the form of human beings taking advantage of bewildered housewives whose husbands had been rounded up by the FBI within 48 hours after Pearl Harbor. They were offered pittances for practically new furniture and applicances: refrigerators, radio consoles, et-cetera, as well as cars, and many were falling prey to these people." The day after "evacuation," Terminal Island was littered with abandoned possessions. Today, there is little trace of the Japanese community except one small monument. The rest of San Pedro's Japanese American community was interned in April 1942. Terminal Island became a Navy airfield.

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii1104

Japanese-Americans at Manzanar War Relocation Center

Image size: 1600 x 1227 pixel. 486 KB
Date: Friday, 24 April 1942
Place: Manzanar War Relocation Center, California, USA
Photographer: Unknown

 Recently arrived interned Japanese-Americans queue for housing assignments. Begun in March of 1942, the Manzanar War Relocation Center was built by Los Angeles contractor Griffith and Company. Construction proceeded 10 hours a day 7 days a week; major construction was completed within six weeks. On March 21 the first 82 Japanese Americans made the 220-mile trip by bus from Los Angeles. More volunteers soon followed to help build the relocation center. Over the next few days 146 more Japanese Americans arrived in 140 cars and trucks under military escort. Another 500 Japanese Americans, mostly older men, arrived from Los Angeles by train. By mid April, up to 1,000 Japanese Americans were arriving at Manzanar a day and by mid May Manzanar had a population of over 7,000. By July Manzanar's population was nearly 10,000. Over 90 percent of the evacuees were from the Los Angeles area; others were from Stockton, California, and Bainbridge Island, Washington. Manzanar incarcerated 10,046 internees at its peak. A total of 11,070 people would be imprisoned there. The War Relocation Authority closed Manzanar On November 21, 1945. 

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii1103

Japanese Americans Queue for Transport to Santa Anita Assembly Center

Image size: 1600 x 1273 pixel. 441 KB
Date: Monday, 6 April 1942
Place: San Francisco, California, USA
Photographer: Dorothea Lange

The first 664 Japanese Americans to receive orders to relocate to the temporary facility, Santa Anita Assembly Center, gather under military escort at 2020 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco. Their belongings are stacked up against the curb. They were taken by bus to the train station under armed guard. vacuees were instructed to bring with them sufficient blankets, bed linen and towels; toilet articles, soap, comb and mirror; adequate clothing; knives, forks, spoons, plates, bowls, cups; other small incidental property which can be carried easily. When they arrived, their baggage was searched. Japanese language books, magazines, and religious tracts were confiscated. Santa Anita was still under construction when they arrived, and some internees were housed in unclean horse stalls. After staying at the race track until the permanent detention camp was ready, they were moved to Manzanar Camp in Owens Valley, California. Santa Anita was in operation from March 27 - October 27, 1942. 

Source:

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/japanese-relocation/

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii1102

Japanese American Grocery Proclaims "I Am An American" as they Sell The Store Prior to Internment

Image size: 1516 x 1600 pixel. 774 KB
Date: Friday, 13 March 1942
Place: Oakland, California, United States
Photographer: Dorothea Lange

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Masuda Family, owners of the Wanto Grocery, posted a sign on their business that said "I AM AN AMERICAN" at their business, 401 8th Street and Franklin Street in Oakland, California. After the relocation order 9066 was signed by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Masudas were forced to sell and were interned. NARA Caption: Oakland, California. Following evacuation orders, this store, at 13th and Franklin Streets, was closed. The owner, a University of California graduate of Japanese descent, placed the "I AM AN AMERICAN" sign on the store front on Dec. 8, the day after Pearl Harbor. Evacuees of Japanese ancestry will be housed in War Relocation Authority centers for the duration.

Source:

http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii1024