Collection Guide
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Takahashi Family Papers
SPC.2020.013
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections
Title: Takahashi Family Papers
Creator:
Griffen, Florence
Creator:
Takahashi, Yae
Creator:
Treable, Dorothy
Identifier/Call Number: SPC.2020.013
Physical Description:
523 Megabytes
219 pdf files, 217 jpeg files
Date (inclusive): 1942-2013
Date (bulk): 1942-1969
Abstract: The Takahashi Family Papers comprise of photographs from a family photo album, correspondence between the immediate Takahashi
family, correspondence between Florence Griffen and her mother-in-law, Lois Griffen, transcripts of the correspondence, Yae
Takahashi's original artwork, Dorothy Treakle's school report cards, Florence's short autobiography, newspaper clippings,
church and Peace Corps papers, Poston incarceration camp Christmas cards, and more. All of this collection has been digitized
and some of the material is available online.
Language of Material:
English
, Japanese
.
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Takahashi Family Papers was loaned to the Gerth Archives and Special Collections in 2020 by Margaret Zumwinkle. A second
accession was added in 2021. The entire collection was returned in 2021.
Availability of Digitalized Material
Some of the collection has been digitized and is available at the CSU Japanese American Project site:
Takahashi Family Papers
Yoshizumi George Takahashi (1879-1959) was an Issei (first-generation Japanese American) who immigrated to the United States
in 1907 from Tokyo Prefecture, Japan. He settled in Dinuba, Tulare County, California, where he worked as a vineyard and truck
farmer. He later married Yaeko "Yae" Kawakami (1889-1975) in the same year she immigrated to the U.S. also from Tokyo Prefecture,
Japan in 1914. They had seven children they named Frank Isao (1915-1986), Rose "Rosie" Fukiko (1917-2007), Albert Takeshi
(1918-2017), Howard Akira (1920-2006), Florence Sumire (1923-2018), Dorothy Yuriko (1927-), and Margaret Yukiko (1929-). The
family was incarcerated at Poston incarceration camp in Parker, Arizona for three years during World War II before being released.
Two of George and Yae's sons, Albert and Howard, enlisted for military service as privates. George and Yae continued farming
in Spanish Fork, Utah before moving once more and settling in Los Angeles, California.
Florence was employed as a nurse at Willard State Psychiatric Hospital in Syracuse, New York in 1945 before taking other nursing
positions in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1947 and Los Angeles from 1948 until 1949. She married Robert "Bob" Griffen in 1956 and
had one daughter. Robert and Florence joined the Peace Corps and were able to work and teach internationally in Ecuador and
Bangkok, Thailand. They eventually returned to the United States and moved to Honolulu, Hawai'i in 1967 before Florence herself
returned to Los Angeles sometime in the 1970s or 1980's.
Existence and Location of Originals
Donor retained original material.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
The access files are PDF and JPG files stored on the Public Use Drive. Access to the files is available on-site in the Gerth
Archives and Special Collections reading room. Please request copies at the reference desk.
[Title of item], Takahashi Family Papers, Courtesy of the Department of Archives and Special Collections. University Library.
California State University, Dominguez Hills
Processing Information for Digitized Material
The Gerth Archives and Special Collections created digital reproductions from the original material for long-term preservation
and access. These preservation files (47.1 gb, 956 tif files) were scanned to and stored on the Gerth Archives and Special
Collections Deparment Drive. For more information on the best practices and standards for the digitization process, please
see:
CSU Japanese American Digitization Project technical reference guide.
This collection is part of the California State University Japanese American Digitization Project. For related materials please
consult:
CSU Japanese American Digitization Project.
The Takahashi Family Papers (1942-2013, bulk 1942-1969) contain digitized material from the Takahashi family. Included are
letters from immediate family members pre and post-World War II. Most of the letters from after World War II were written
by Florence (Takahashi) Griffen while she was in New York and after she joined the Peace Corps with her husband and moved
to Bangkok, Thailand. There are also two copies of transcripted letters to Albert Takeshi Takahashi during World War II and
from Florence while she was in Syracuse, New York. Besides the letters, there are also get-well cards and handmade cards from
the Poston incarceration camp.
The collection also contains individual material that relates to Florence, her sister Dorothy, and her mother Yae. The newspaper
clippings, handwritten notes, journal entries, and other material related to Florene are associated with her career, the Peace
Corps, and her work in general. Material that correlates with Dorothy (Takahashi) Treakle, are report cards from primary,
secondary, high school, and college. The material related to Yae Takahashi is her artwork from the Poston incarceration camp.
The individual photographs and family photo album include images of pre and post-World War II. The family photo album contains
images from the Poston incarceration camp, Robert and Florence (Takahashi) Griffen's wedding, pre-World War II photographs
of family, and post-World War II photographs of George Yoshizumi and Yae Takahashi's grandchildren. The individual photographs
are of Albert Takahashi and a school photograph most likely from the Poston incarceration camp.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives
and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical
materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
This collection is arranged in six series: Correspondence, Yae Takahashi, Florence (Takahashi) Griffen, Dorothy (Takahashi)
Treakle, Takahashi family photo album and individual photographs, and Other material related to incarceration camps.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Japanese American art
Japanese American families
Japanese American soldiers
Japanese Americans -- California
Japanese American Farmers -- California
World War, 1939-1945 -- Concentration Camps -- United States
Photograph albums
Correspondence
Nursing
Tulare Lake (Calif.)
Los Angeles (Calif.)
Sanām Lūang (Bangkok, Thailand)
Takahashi, Yoshizumi George
Takahashi, Rosie
Takahashi, Albert
Takahashi, Howard
Griffen, Robert
Griffen, Lois
Poston Incarceration Camp
Zumwinkle, Margaret
- Collection Overview
-
Collection Details
- Conditions Governing Access
- Immediate Source of Acquisition
- Availability of Digitalized Material
- Takahashi Family Biography
- Existence and Location of Originals
- Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
- Preferred Citation
- Processing Information for Digitized Material
- Related Materials
- Scope and Contents
- Conditions Governing Use
- Arrangement