Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Breed, Clara E. (Clara Estelle), 1906-1994
- Abstract:
- The online collection of Clara Breed, or “Miss Breed” as she was known by her young library patrons, includes over 250 letters and cards received by Breed from Japanese American children and young adults during their World War II incarceration. The collection also includes articles written by Clara Breed in library journals about Japanese American incarceration, pamphlets collected, a record of books sent to children in camp, and other items. Items in this collection were featured in the exhibition 'Dear Miss Breed: Letters from Camp' at the Japanese American National Museum.
- Extent:
- .8 linear feet (2 boxes)
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Clara Breed Collection. 93.75, Japanese American National Museum. Los Angeles, CA.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The majority of the collection is comprised of over 250 letters sent to Clara Breed by young Japanese Americans, primarily incarcerated at Poston concentration camp in Arizona (the destination for most individuals from San Diego, California). The collection also contains letters and documents forwarded to Clara from her sister, Eleanor Breed (who lived in Berkeley, California) related to the Japanese American incarceration and students affected. Additionally, there are manuscripts for articles written by Clara about Japanese Americans and incarceration, as well as two small notebooks logging the titles of books she sent to students at Poston.
A complete list of contents is available at the bottom of the finding aid, under additional collection guides. There is one itemized list of the student letters, and a separate list of non-correspondence items.
The names of the correspondents include: Margaret Arakawa, Fusatoshi Fujimoto, Mizue Himaka, Tetsuzo Hirasaki, Yaeko Hirasaki, Florence Ishino, Margaret Ishino, Lillian Yuriko Kawasaki, Yoshiko Kubo Kihara, Anna Kikuchi, David Kikuchi, Elizabeth Kikuchi, Aiko Kubo, Shizuye Kubo, Marii Kyogoku, Louise Ogawa, Katherine Tasaki, Fusa Tsumagari, Fuyu Tsumagari, Yukio Tsumagari, Hisako Watanabe, Jack Watanabe, William Watanabe, Ted Yagade, and Anna Yamada.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Clara Estelle Breed, known as "Miss Breed" to many, was the children's librarian at San Diego Public Library from 1929 to 1945. When her young Japanese American patrons were forced into concentration camps with their families in 1942, Breed became their reliable correspondent, sending them books, assisting with requests for supplies, and through her actions, serving as a reminder of the possibility for decency and justice in a troubled world. Years later, Breed passed on the collection of letters she received to Elizabeth Kikuchi Yamada, one of the original correspondents. Ms. Yamada, in turn, donated them to the Japanese American National Museum.
A detailed biography is available at the Densho Encyclopedia: https://encyclopedia.densho.org/Clara_Breed/
- Acquisition information:
- Acquired in 1993 as a gift of Elizabeth Y. Yamada.
- Processing information:
-
Items were initially processed by museum staff, and digitized by Snowden Becker and Babe Karasawa.
- Arrangement:
-
Items remain in their physical arrangement as originally processed.
- Physical location:
- Japanese American National Museum. 100 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
- Rules or conventions:
- Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
By appointment only. Please contact the Collections Management and Access Unit (collections@janm.org). Advanced notice is required.
- Terms of access:
-
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).
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Clara Breed Collection. 93.75, Japanese American National Museum. Los Angeles, CA.
- Location of this collection:
-
Collections Management & Access Unit100 North Central AvenueLos Angeles, CA 90012, US
- Contact:
- 213-625-0414