Yamamoto (Irene) Family Papers, June 1921 - circa 2018

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Summary

Title:
Irene Yamamoto Family Papers
Dates:
June 1921 - circa 2018
Creators:
Yamamoto, Irene Michiko
Abstract:
This collection contains correspondence, postcards, yearbooks, report cards, identification documents and certifications, World War II-related material, photographs, photograph albums, travel receipts and information, and other material related to the Yamamoto family. Subjects in this collection include World War II incarceration, Japanese American families, and travel.
Extent:
15 boxes
Language:
English , Japanese .
Preferred citation:

For information about citing archival material, see the Citations for Archival Material guide, or consult the appropriate style manual.

Background

Scope and content:

The Irene Yamamoto Family Papers (June 1921 - circa 2018) include correspondence, photographs, documents, and other material related to the Yamamoto family. Series one includes correspondence, postcards, thank you cards, holiday cards, and artwork sent mostly from members of the Yamamoto family to each other. Other correspondence in the series includes letters from the United States Department of Justice and printed email correspondence with printed photographs of the Mizota family. Series Two includes school-related material, such as yearbooks, report cards, and school correspondence for Grace Sakiyo Kaguni (Yamamoto), Lawrence Mineo Yamamoto, Don Yamamoto, Irene Yamamoto, and Bryan Yamamoto. The schools include McKinley High School, Honolulu Vocational SchooL, Theodore Roosevelt High School, and the Southern Campus University of Los Angeles.

Series Three contains documents related to the Yamamoto family. The first subseries include identification documents, marriage certificates, birth announcements and certifications, and wedding announcements. The second subseries contains funeral documentation, memorial cards, memorial programs, and sympathy cards for Lawrence Mineo and Grace Sakiyo Yamamoto. The last subseries includes material related to World War II and World War II incarceration, travel receipts and information, children's artwork, a trip diary, address books, personalized photograph calendars, and other material related to members of the Yamamoto family.

Series Four includes photographs, photographs albums, negatives, portraits, and mounted photographs. Most of the photographs are of members of the Yamamoto family, including Irene Yamamoto and her parents, Grace Sakiyo and Mineo Lawrence Yamamoto. Other photographs include Irene Yamamoto's travel photographs from Italy, Turkey, Japan, Hawaii, New Zealand, and Greece, along with additional travel photographs. Other photographs include birthday parties, anniversary parties, weddings, reunions, and other family events.

Series Five contains other material related to the Yamamoto family. This includes songbooks from Hawaii, a sushi cookbook, and other publications. It also contains 3 reel to reel tapes and one Kakuni family reunion CD.

Biographical / historical:

Lawrence Mineo Yamamoto (October 21, 1906-September 5, 1991) was born in Oahu, Hawaii, to Hakusuko and Ume Yamamoto. Lawrence had two siblings, Grace and Russel. After living in Hawaii, the Yamamoto family moved to Alaska. Lawrence returned to Hawaii in the 1930s and married Grace Sakiyo Kakuni (April 2, 1912-September 1991) on June 30, 1934. After 1934, Grace and Lawrence moved to Los Angeles.

Grace and Lawrence had four children, Don Nobue Yamamoto (December 1935- ), Irene Michiko Yamamoto (February 19, 1937-November 11, 2020), Ellen Keiko Yamamoto (April 2, 1941 -), and Ray Masato Yamamoto (September 23, 1944-May 27, 1945). During World War II, the family was forcibly removed to the Santa Anita Racetrack and then to the Gila River incarceration camp on October 18, 1942. After leaving the incarceration camp on September 6, 1945, the family moved to Denver, Colorado, and shortly after, the family returned to Los Angeles.

Irene attended Theodore Roosevelt High School. Following graduation, she attended the University of California, Los Angeles. Irene went on to work as a commercial artist. She also traveled to many places, including England, Hawaii, New Zealand, Japan, Peru, Iceland, France, Greece, Turkey, and Italy.

Acquisition information:
This collection was donated in 2021 by Sharon Mizota.
Processing information:

This collection was processed in May-June 2022 by Jennifer Hill with assitance from Anthony Rojo.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into five series. Series Two also has three subseries.

Series:
Series One:
Yamamoto Family Correspondence
Series Two:
School correspondence, report cards, and yearbooks related to the Yamamoto Family
Series Three:
Yamamoto Family Documents
Series Four:
Photograph albums, and loose and oversized photographs
Series Five:
Other
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Bibliography:

Mizota, Sharon. "Artchivist's Notebook: Seeing Ourselves in Archives." ARTchivist's Notebook, 2021, https://buttondown.email/ARTchivistsNotebook/archive/artchivists-notebook-seeing-ourselves-in-archives/.

"Irene Michiko Yamamoto." Rafu Shimpo, Rafu Shimpo, 27 Nov. 2020, https://rafu.com/2020/11/irene-michiko-yamamoto/.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Jennifer Hill
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2022-09-30 19:36:48 +0000 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Terms of access:

For information about citing archival material, see the Citations for Archival Material guide, or consult the appropriate style manual.

Preferred citation:

For information about citing archival material, see the Citations for Archival Material guide, or consult the appropriate style manual.

Location of this collection:
University Library, 5th Flr (5039)
1000 E. Victoria Street
Carson, CA 90747, US
Contact:
(310) 243-3895
archives@csudh.edu
Website