This collection documents World War II experiences of Hayao "Sam" and Toshiko Chuman, who were Kibei Nisei born in the United States but grew up and completed school in Japan, and then returned to the U.S. prior to the war. It chronicles the Chumans's incarceration from the Santa Anita Assembly Center, through Jerome, Rohwer, Tule Lake camps, and the Santa Fe and Crystal City internment camps as well as their struggle for restoring their U.S. citizenships in the 1960s. The collection consists of mostly textual material, including correspondence, affidavits, incarceration camp records, lease agreements, financial documents, receipts, pamphlets, and booklets.

Sam Hayao Chuman 中馬速男 (1913-2001) was born in Los Angeles, California on May 24, 1913 as a Nisei son to Suehiko and Sato Chuman who were Japanese immigrants from Kagoshima, Japan. When he was three months old, the Chumans decided to return to Kagoshima. While he was raised and completed school in Japan, Hayao had been determined to return to his native country, America. In 1931, he returned to the U.S. with his uncle and family, and stayed with them in Venice, California. He realized that an American education was the key to success and decided to attend high school at Venice High School and Oceanside High school, learning agricultural science. He was proud of America's constitutional democracy and determined to give up his dual citizenship so he renounced his Japanese citizenship. In 1934, he became independent and moved to Bellflower, California and started his own nursery business.

1 box (1 document box)

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