This collection contains documents and photographs related to the personal life of Shizuye Yamaoka, dating from approximately 1900 to the 1980s. The contents include correspondence; photographs; birth, marriage, and death certificates; and papers related to Shizuye’s cosmetology career.

Shizuye Yamaoka was born December 30, 1905, in Isleton, California. Her parents were Japanese citizens, and Shizuye had a twin sibling who died at age two. Not much is known about her early life, but she was married by 1926 to [unknown first name] Kawahara. In 1928 she married her second husband, Kaichi Yamada. She became a naturalized citizen on October 23, 1931. The couple reported to the Marysville Assembly Center on May 14, 1942, and were moved to the Tule Lake Relocation Center on June 27, 1942. Shizuye departed from Tule Lake on September 2, 1943 with an indefinite leave pass to go to Denver, Colorado. She stayed in Denver for a period of time, took cosmetology courses, and was licensed to practice cosmetology. Eventually Shizuye moved to Southern California and practiced cosmetology there. She divorced her second husband in 1951. Shizuye married her third husband, Keiji Kijima (owner of a dental laboratory), in 1960, until his death in 1975. She married her fourth husband, Masaichi Morino, sometime later, and they remained together until his death in 1982. She appeared to travel fairly often as an adult, with sailing trips to Japan, and other vacations to Peru and Alaska. Shizuye died December 30, 1994 in Los Angeles.

.05 linear feet (1 box, 1 folder)

All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in this collection must be submitted to the Collections Management and Access Unit at the Japanese American National Museum (collections@janm.org).

By appointment only. Please contact the Collections Management and Access Unit by email (collections@janm.org) or telephone (213-830-5619). Advanced notice is required.