Japanese Internment Photostory
By: Bill Coffey and Max Mattenson
Life Before Pearl Harbor and Immediately After Pearl Harbor
Before
My family photo, taken just a few days before Pearl Harbor.
After
The Attack on Pearl Harbor just happened and the white people are rioting in the streets.
We are Americans
My father had to put a sign up in front of his shop out of fear.
My family lived in Los Angeles before Pearl Harbor. We owned a shop downtown and lived very comfortably within our means. When America was bombed, the white population started rioting in the streets. The White people of L.A. were hungry for blood and they wanted war on all Japanese, including the innocent Japanese Americans. My father was so afraid for our lives that he put up a sign in front of his shop that told people that we are Americans (4).
Neighbor's reactions
Hatred
My neighbors vandalized my house and destroyed my family property.
Patriotism
My white neighbors say they are doing what they are doing because they are being patriots.
Public Support
My father tells me that James D. Phelan is using the public support from the internment to try to get re-elected.
After Pearl Harbor, my white neighbors were really angry at us. They painted mean words all over my house. They say they are being patriotic and supporting their country. My father even tells me that politicians are using the public hatred of us to get re-elected. I don't like living here anymore because the people are so mean to me (2).
Notice of Forced Internment
Notices Everywhwere
There are notices posted all over the city.
Japanese Ancestry
The notices are calling everyone who had Japanese ancestry, even American born citizens like me, to evacuate.
White Acceptance
My white neighbors are very happy that we are leaving and are excited to have their neighborhoods back.
There are notices posted all over town that we will have to leave. They are forcing everyone of "Japanese Ancestry" to evacuate. I was born in America and I am a citizen, but they are making my me move anyway (3). My white neighbors all seem very happy that we are moving. It hurt my feelings.
What We Could Take and What Happened to Our Other Possessions
Minimal Packing
The white men tell us that we can only take what we can carry.
Ripped Off
The Japanese men, like my father, had to sell their homes and businesses for much less than they were worth.
Excess Bags
Our bags that we did not have room for were stacked up outside. I fear they may just be thrown away.
With the evacuation under way, my family and I begin packing. We are only allowed to take what we can carry (1). I can carry two packs but many people can only take one bag. My father had to sell his business and our home. We got much less than we should have (1). There are piles of bags at the bus station that people could not take with them.
Transportation to Camp
Buses
We all we forced to board buses.
Assembly Center
My family was taken to a horse track where we were to stay.
Horse Stalls
We have to sleep in dirty horse stalls.
My family and I were forced to board a bus with our bags. We were taken to a nearby horse track (1). The white men called it an Assembly Center. They told us we would be staying here a few weeks. We have to sleep in dirty horse stalls that smell of horse manure (1).
Life in Camps
Bunks
We had to sleep in tiny bunks in overcrowded barracks.
Work
The Japanese worked mostly as farmers within the camps.
Mess Hall
We had to eat all our meals in a crowded mess hall with everyone in the camp.
We slept in old barracks made out of wood. They were barely heated by wood stoves and it was very cold during the winter. (5) Because I was a child, I had to go to school for most of the day while the adults worked mainly as farmers. (6) For meals we typically had bread, sausages, and tomato soup. As the farms grew, we had more fruits and vegetables to eat with meals. (4) Life in the camps was not anything close to the ones in Nazi Germany, but we still were not free.