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Naohara (George and Mitzi) Papers
SPC.2017.011  
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Collection location Contact California State University, Dominguez Hills::Archives and Special Collections
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Immigration, World War II incarceration, and Korean War experiences 1902 February 20-1956; 1974 March 21-December 12; 1983 May 12; 1942-1945

Physical Description: 7 boxes
Language of Material: English, Japanese.

Scope and Contents

This series contains materials documenting the Masukawa family's immigration and incarceration experiences as well as George Naohara's incarceration, U.S. Army language school training, and Korean War experiences. Included are albums and scrapbooks compiled by George and Mitzi Naohara, certificates, a passport, receipts, WRA forms, alien registration receipt card, ID cards, correspondence, and permits which were issued to the Masukawa and Naohara family, and a Buddhist altar made by hand by one of the family members in the Jerome camp in Arkansas.
There are documents issued by U.S. Department of Justice Claims Division and National Archives and Records Service after the war, responding to George and Mitzi Naohara's inquiries. Under the Act of July 2, 1948, the Naoharas filed the claims for the losses of their real and personal property caused by the incarceration.
There are also term papers along with audio cassette tapes created by Eileen Naohara, who is a daughter of George and Mitzi Naohara. She submitted them to Prof. Donald T. Hata when she was a student at CSU Dominguez Hills in 1974. She conducted interviews with her parents, uncle, and aunt, and collected and analyzed their stories about their incarceration experiences during World War II.
box 1

George Naohara photo album 1942-1956

Physical Description: 1 box
Language of Material: English.
box 2

Mitzi Naohara photo album 1942-1945

Physical Description: 1 box
Language of Material: English.
box 3

Mitzi Naohara scrapbook 1942-1945

Physical Description: 1 box
Language of Material: English.
box 11

Mitzi Naohara scrapbook undated

Physical Description: 1 box

Scope and Contents

Material is Mitzi Naohara's scrapbook including patterns which she had collected since sewing school in Little Tokyo prior to the war and brought with her during and after the war.
box 4

George Naohara scrapbook: Korean War and before leaving Japan 1947-1951

Physical Description: 1 box
Language of Material: English.
box 5, folder 1-6, 12

Tomosuke and Koyuta Masukawa immigration records, a family photo, and others 1902 February 20-1938 November 12; 1965 September 20

Physical Description: 7 folders
Language of Material: English, Japanese.

Scope and Contents

Contain materials regarding Tomosuke and Koyuta Masukawa's immigration. Included are an inspection card, certificate of registration, certificate of inoculation, Imperial Japanese Government passport, alien tax receipt, and a paper framed family photograph probably taken in Japan in 1915. There are also Tomosuke Masukawa's receipts for U.S. Postal money order, Moneta Commercial Bank book, and his death certificate.
box 5, folder 7-11, 16

Masukawa family's wartime documents 1942-1945 September 24

Physical Description: 6 folders
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

Contain documents issued to Tomosuke and Koyuta Masukawa during World War II. Included are an alien registration receipt card (Form AR-3) and certificate of identification (Form AR-AE-23), certificate change of residence notice (Form PM-2), registration certificate (D.S.S. Form 2), government property release for evacuees (WRA-Colo.River-86), civilian message form (Form 1616) by American Red Cross, and alien's travel permits (WRA-394). There is also a class note complied by Mitzi Masukawa during her incarceration.
box 5, folder 13-15

George Naohara's wartime documents 1942-1945

Physical Description: 3 folders
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

Contain ID cards, certificates, notices, letters, permits, and other documents regarding George Nobuo Naohara's work and leave clearance during the war. Materials were issued by California Department of Employment, War Relocation Authority, United States Employment Service, and Farm Security Administration. There are documents regarding his transfer to the Tule Lake Segregation Center, including a copy of his letter addressing the Spanish Embassy to apply for expatriation to Japan from the Tule Lake camp. There are also documents issued by the Selective Service System Local Board No. 277 with blank forms of the "loyalty questionnaire" responding to his answers to the questionnaire.
box 5, folder 17-18

Other wartime documents 1942 January 2; 1942-1945

Creator: Thomas, Norman, 1884-1968
Creator: Post War World Council
Physical Description: 2 items(1 blank card and 1 pamphlet)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

Contained are a booklet, "Democracy and Japanese Americans," written by Norman Thomas, describing the forced evacuation and incarceration of people of Japanese ancestry during World War II; and a blank form of "Change of residence" report card whose return address is: Mr. Dillon S. Myer, Director, War Relocation Authority, Barr Building, Washington 25, D.C. Form WAR-148C. rev.
box 5, folder 21-25

US Department of Justice Claims Division and National Archives and Records Service correspondence 1951 June 19-December 6; 1983 May 12 1951 June 19-December 6

Language of Material: English.
box 5, folder 19-20

Oral history interviews 1974 March 21; 1974 December 12;

Physical Description: 2 folders(2 documents and 2 audio cassettes)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

Two term papers, "A Kibei's view of life in relocation camps during WWII" and "Life in camp: three different views," along with audio cassette tapes prepared by Eileen Naohara Yoshimura, who is a daughter of George and Mitzi Naohara. She submitted them to Prof. Donald T. Hata when she was a student at CSU Dominguez Hills. She conducted interviews with her parents, uncle, and aunt, and collected and analyzed their stories about their incarceration experiences during World War II.
box 8

Buddhist altar 1942-1945

Physical Description: 1 box

Scope and Contents

Contained is a Buddhist alter which was made by hand by Mitzi Naohara's brother-in-law while he was incarcerated in the Jerome camp in Arkansas.
 

Postwar camp reunion and pilgrimage 1981-2005

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains materials pertaining to the postwar camp reunion and pilgrimage, which were collected by George and Mitzi Naohara. Included are a Manzanar pilgrimage booklet, Poston camp reunion booklets, photographs, clippings, a roster of reunion participants, pamphlets, and brochures. There is also a 1989 calendar which includes images from the several incarceration camps, such as, Poston, Heart Mountain, Tule Lake, Manzanar, Granada, and Santa Fe New Mexico and was compiled by the Southern District Special Projects Committee, and an illustration booklet titled "Camp Days 1942-1945" by Chizuko Judy Sugita de Queiroz.
box 5, folder 26

Manzanar pilgrimage 1981

Language of Material: English.
box 5, folder 27-32

Poston camp reunion 1985 April-1997

Language of Material: English.
box 9, folder 1

1989 calendar 1989

Language of Material: English.
box 9, folder 2

Camp days 1942-1945 2004

Language of Material: English.
box 9, folder 3

Newspaper clippings 2005 May 18-28

Language of Material: English.
 

Postwar Gardena Buddhist Church and Shinto activities 1963-1982; undated

Physical Description: 6 boxes(10 film reels and 5 DVDs; documents; artifacts)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains materials documenting the Gardena Buddhist Church and Shinto events and activities in which George Naohara was involved after the war. Included are the moving images (ten film reels and five DVDs), albums and photographs, and documents for the Gardena Buddhist Church hondo (main hall) and social hall dedication services, bon dance, hanamatsuri (festivals), a visit of Keiro (a residential care home for the elderly), and a Shinto conference in San Diego. The Gardena Buddhist Church was torched in 1980s and the moving images capture the fire damage and reconstruction. Some of them were filmed by George Naohara. DVDs are digital reproductions of some of the films reels (reels 1-5). There are also a happi coat with a belt which he wore for the activities and Japanese fans that were used for the bon dance summer events.
box 12, box 13, drawer 3.8, folder 1

Gardena Buddhist Church albums and photographs 1956-2004; undated 1956-2004, bulk 1962-2003

Scope and Contents

Albums, loose leaves from an album, loose photographs, and panoramas document the members and activities of the Gardena Buddhist Church in which George Naohara engaged during the post-war period. Included are the dedication services, the 50th and 60th anniversary events, the board members and the reverends, and the main building damaged by fire in July 1980. There are also a number of photographs depicting their social events and activities, such as, new year's parties, picnics, karaoke competition, hanamatsuri, and performances. Panoramas are group photographs of the 50th anniversary (October 10, 1976), 60th anniversary (June 1, 1986), and Hondo Building dedication (August 22, 1982) taken by the Toyo Miyatake Studio and a portrait of a reverend.
box 6, reel 1-9, box 6, case 1-5

Gardena Buddhist Church moving images 1963-1982; undated

Physical Description: 9 Reels
Physical Description: 5 items(5 DVDs)
Language of Material: English, Japanese.

Scope and Contents

Materials are moving images capturing the Gardena Buddhist Church events and activities. The original reels 1-5 were digitized and saved on DVDs by the donor.

Inventory of Reels

  1. Reel 1: Gardena Buddhist Church hondo (main hall) dedication service and entertainments, 1963-1970
  2. Reel 2: New social hall dedication service, 1978-1979
  3. Reel 3: Fire damage, July 1980
  4. Reel 4: Reconstruction, 1981
  5. Reel 5: Landscaping and dedication day events, August 1982
  6. Reel 6: Keirokai event on March 7, 1971
  7. Reel 7: 2nd language school picnic, undated
  8. Reel 8: Obon dance and Hanamatsuri, undated
  9. Reel 9: Hanamatsuri, Spring plant, Eileen speech contest, Fire and felled ladder, undated
box 9, folder 4-8

Gardena Buddhist Church documents 1976 April 12-2011 August 10

Physical Description: 5 folders
Language of Material: English, Japanese.

Scope and Contents

Materials are a scrapbook compiled by George Naohara; programs, brochures, and meeting minutes regarding Gardena Buddhist Church new hondo (main hall) dedication service; event programs; service guidelines and practices, songs, and daily creed of Jodo Shinshu; and a Shinshu handbook distributed to commemorate Gardena Buddhist Women Association 45th anniversary.
box 6, reel 10

Shinto conference in San Diego 1975

Physical Description: 1 Reels
Language of Material: English.
box 7

George Naohara's happi coat and belt

Physical Description: 2 items
Language of Material: English.
box 8

Japanese fans for Gardena Buddhist Church bon dance events

Physical Description: 3 items
 

Gardena Buddhist Church, Buddhist Church of America, and other publications 1963-2010

Physical Description: 2 boxes
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains published items mainly by Gardena Buddhist Church and Buddhist Church of America, including anniversary books for the Gardena Buddhist Church and its affiliated Japanese language school, and a clipping (portrait) from a magazine, an issue of a bulletin, brochure, handbook, and books published by Buddhist Church of America.
There are also two autobiography books by George Naohara's friends, George Susumu Ota and Ted T. Miyamoto, documenting their experiences during incarceration and after the attack on Pearl Harbor respectively, "Japanese American Korean War Veterans: May 23-26, 1997 souvenir book," and an issue of "The town magazine," which was one of local community magazines in Los Angeles, featuring the history of the Japanese American community in Gardena. Photographs, which capture the author with George and Mitzi Naohara in front of "George's Barber Shop" in his later years, are pasted on Ted T. Miyamoto's autobiography book.
box 9, folder 9

Gardena Buddhist Church 1963 dedication 1963

Language of Material: English, Japanese.
box 9, folder 10

Shining wheel, Gardena Buddhist Church and affiliated organizations directory: 20th anniversary edition dedicated to our Buddhist Sunday School children 1973

Physical Description: 1 volume
Language of Material: English.
box 9, folder 11

50th anniversary, 1926-1976 Gardena Buddhist Church 1976

Physical Description: 1 volume
Language of Material: English.
box 9, folder 12

50th anniversary Gardena Buddhist Church [Japanese language school] 1928-1978 1978

Language of Material: English, Japanese.
box 9, folder 13

Gardena Buddhist Church 1926-1986 60th anniversary 1986

Language of Material: English, Japanese.
box 9, folder 14

1926-2001 75th anniversary Gardena Buddhist Church 2001

Language of Material: English, Japanese.
box 10, folder 1

Portrait of Shinran Shonin undated

Physical Description: 1 items
Language of Material: English, Japanese.
box 10, folder 2

A guide to Buddhist etiquette undated

Physical Description: 1 items
Language of Material: English.
box 10, folder 3

Shin Buddhist handbook 1972

Physical Description: 1 volume
Language of Material: English.
box 10, folder 4

Dharma talks of the four seasons 1984 July 25

Language of Material: English, Japanese.
box 10, folder 5

Wheel of Dharma = 法輪, vol. 24, issue 4 1997 April

Language of Material: English, Japanese.
box 10, folder 6

浄土真宗門徒必須 [a handbook for Shin Buddhist] 1970

Language of Material: Japanese.
box 10, folder 7

George Susumu Ota autobiography circa 1994

Language of Material: English.
box 10, folder 8

Talk story: growing up on a sugar plantation 2010

Physical Description: 1 volume
Language of Material: English.

General

Photographs and correspondence are attached.
box 10, folder 9

Japanese American Korean War Veterans: May 23-26, 1997 souvenir book 1997

Physical Description: 1 volume
Language of Material: English.
box 10, folder 10

The town magazine, vol. 11, no. 8 (= no. 88) 1984 August 5

Language of Material: Japanese.
Collection Contents
Immigration, World War II incarceration, and Korean War experiences
Postwar camp reunion and pilgrimage
Postwar Gardena Buddhist Church and Shinto activities
Gardena Buddhist Church, Buddhist Church of America, and other publications
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