Herman Kleiner Collection

Processed by Jamie Henricks.

Japanese American National Museum

100 North Central Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Email: collections@janm.org

URL: http://www.janm.org/

Finding aid for the Herman Kleiner Collection

Collection number: 96.80

Descriptive Summary

Title: Herman Kleiner collection

Dates: 1942-1944

Date: 1992

Collection number: 96.80

Collection Size: 2 folders

Repository: Japanese American National Museum (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Los Angeles, California 90012

Collector: Kleiner, Herman

Abstract: This collection contains items collected by Herman Kleiner, dating from 1942 to 1944 (and one item from 1992). The contents include mostly newspaper articles and reports, but also includes correspondence about Japanese American students. Most the items relate to Japanese Americans in or from the Pacific Northwest.

Physical location: Japanese American National Museum. 100 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

Access

By appointment only. Please contact the Collections Management and Access Unit (collections@janm.org). Advanced notice is required.

Publication Rights

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], Herman Kleiner Collection. 96.80, Japanese American National Museum. Los Angeles, CA.

Acquisition Information

Acquired in 1996 as a gift of Mr. Herman Kleiner.

Processing Information

The collection was processed by Claire Gordon. A finding aid was created in 2016 by Jamie Henricks.

Biographical Note

Herman Kleiner was born in Tacoma, Washington on August 24, 1921. His parents were Moritz “Morris” and Pauline Kleiner, who were originally from Tarnopol (a city formerly under Austrian control, then Polish, now currently in Ukraine) and Canada, respectively. Pauline was Jewish. He had two younger siblings, and the family continued to live in Washington. Herman’s parents eventually became naturalized citizens. After attending College of Puget Sound and serving in the Air Force during World War II, he went into business with his father at the Model Lumber Company in Tacoma. Model Lumber closed in 1986.

Other information about Herman Kleiner and his family can be found in various locations, including:

http://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ohc/id/2300/ (an audio oral history)

http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv54647/pdf (oral history with transcript)

http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv25857/pdf (Herman's father's oral history)

http://digitalassets.lib.berkeley.edu/roho/ucb/text/kleiner_morris.pdf (Herman's father's oral history transcript)

http://www.foresthistory.org/ead/Kleiner_Leon_J.pdf (Herman's uncle’s scrapbook)

Scope and Content

The collection includes newspaper articles and clippings, reports, booklets, multiple issues of Poston Camp’s Press Bulletin, a few Christian publications, and correspondence to and from Herman Kleiner, from 1942 to 1944. (One college history paper from 1992 is also part of the collection.) Other printed materials include flyers and papers from the American Friends Service (the Quakers) and the Church of the Brethren farm work camp, an issue of the Nippon Times, and other items. The most detailed item in the collection is a report from the Seattle chapter of the JACL with information including the Japanese in American economic life, agriculture information, businesses owned by Japanese Americans (hotels, restaurants, fishing, lumber, etc), public opinion, problems with evacuation, and other information. Most items relate to Japanese Americans relocated during World War II or fighting in Europe, primarily in or from the Pacific Northwest.

Related Materials

The museum holds other collections with materials related to helping Japanese American students, including the Hugo W. Wolter papers (97.329), and others.

Arrangement

Original arrangement was preserved. Materials are organized by subject.

Indexing Terms

Japanese Americans--Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945

Japanese Americans--Washington (State)--History

Additional collection guides:

Item list for the Herman Kleiner collection.