Inventory of the Letters of the Hiroji Hosaka Family SPC.2020.034
Yoko Okunishi
California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections
2020-12
University Library South -5039 (Fifth Floor)
1000 E. Victoria St.
Carson, CA 90747
archives@csudh.edu
Contributing Institution:
California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections
Title: Hiroji Hosaka Family Letters
Creator:
Hosaka, Hiroji, 1890-1087
Creator:
Hosaka, Takino, 1892-1943
Creator:
Hosaka, Teruo, 1928-2019
Identifier/Call Number: SPC.2020.034
Physical Description:
1 box
(1 document box)
Physical Description:
.20 Linear Feet
(1 document box)
Date (inclusive): 1937 October-1962 October 29
Date (bulk): 1942-1945
Abstract: The Hiroji Hosaka Family Letters is comprised of 30 letters and postcards, a copy of Hiroji Hosaka's FBI case file, photographs,
and business cards. The letters are correspondence between him and his family members and friends mainly while he was imprisoned
in the Santa Fe Internment Camp and the Heart Mountain incarceration camp during World War II. The family letters describe
the pressing situations that the family faced such as closing his hotel business and selling their properties in a short time
due to the mass removal and incarceration of people of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast. Most of the items in this collection
have been digitized and are available online.
Material Specific Details: English translation, synopses, and brief descriptions for Japanese language materials are available at CSU Japanese American
Digitization Project site.
Language of Material: The collection is predominantly in Japanese.
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
Availability of Digital Reproductions
Most of the items in this collection have been digitized and digital reproduction access files are available at the CSU Japanese
American Digitization Project site:
Hiroji Hosaka Family Letters Digital Collection
The letters are arranged chronologically.
Hiroji Hosaka (1890 January 7-1987 August 3) was an Issei immigrant who arrived at Honolulu, Hawaii in 1907 as a plantation
laborer. He was born in Fukuoka, Japan on January 7, 1890, and boarded Amerika Maru when he was 17. He resided in Hawaii until
1922, working as a plantation laborer, taxi driver, houseboy, and sales clerk. His wife, Takino Hosaka (1892 April 18-1943
August 6) was an American citizen who was born in Hawaii on April 18, 1892 and spent her childhood in Japan. Hiroji and Takino
married in Hawaii in October 1914 and their first son was born on October 15, 1918. They moved to California in 1922 and their
second son, Teruo, was born in Los Angeles in 1928. They started a hotel business, operating "Aloha Hotel" at 301 Clay St.,
Los Angeles, California in 1929. Their first son was sent to Japan when he was young possibly even before the family moved
to Los Angeles and he lived in Fukuoka where Hiroji originally came from while their second son, Teruo, remained with the
parents in the United States. Hiroji Hosaka was a devoted Christian and earned a degree in accounting from USC. He was a prominent
member in the Japanese American community in Los Angeles since he was a master of kyudo (Japanese archery), which is one of
the Japanese martial arts, and he also served as an auditor for Nihonjinkai and Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles,
as a secretary for Fukuoka Kenjinkai, and as an official for Daiichi Rafu Gakuen, that is, a Japanese language school in Los
Angeles respectively. Japanese organizations were associated with the Consulate-General of Japan and supported the Japanese
government and military. Because of his association with Japanese organizations and language school as well as his expertise
in Japanese martial arts, he became one of the FBI targets as an influential and dangerous enemy alien.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Mr. Hosaka was apprehended by FBI on February 21, 1942 and imprisoned in the County jail
of Los Angeles. He was transferred to the Tuna Canyon Detention Center on February 28, 1942, and further transferred to the
Santa Fe Internment Camp on June 7, 1942. During his confinement, he was interrogated several times and determined to be a
dangerous enemy alien although the interrogators received petition letters from American citizens who tried to prove his innocence.
Eventually, he was "paroled" from the custody of the FBI and Justice Department but determined to be incarcerated in the Santa
Anita Assembly Center and joined his family on June 6, 1942, who had been imprisoned since the mass removal from the West
Coast. He and his family were transferred to the Heart Mountain camp on September 4, 1942.
Mr. Hosaka's hotel business was closed when his remaining family was forced to leave from the military zones by Executive
Order 9066. His wife and young child had to deal with the hotel, their properties, and all processes for the mass removal
without him. One of their friends agreed to purchase the hotel and verbally promised to sell it back to the family later at
the same price that he paid, but the negotiation failed. The family handed it to other friends, but apparently their hotel
business was never resumed after the war.
While the Hosakas were incarcerated in the Heart Mountain camp, Tatsuno passed away in the camp hospital on August 6, 1943.
Hiroji served as a Block 25 councilman, was assigned to a job at a men's dorm in the U.S. Navy language school, University
of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado on June 7, 1945, and another job in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Later he left the Heart Mountain
camp for the Seabrook Farms in Bridgeton, New Jersey in September 1945, and continued to stay there. He apparently returned
to California in the late 1940s and passed away on August 3, 1987. His son, Teruo, left the Heart Mountain camp for Pasadena
when the war ended. He was a Nisei U.S. Army veteran and passed away at age 91 on June 23, 2019.
For information about citing archival material, see the
Citations for Archival Material guide, or consult the appropriate style manual.
The collection was processed and English translation, synopses, and brief descriptions for Japanese language materials were
provided by Yoko Okunishi in 2020.
The Gerth Archives and Special Collections created digital reproductions from original items for long-term preservation and
electronic access, adhering to best practice and standards to ensure the authenticity, integrity, and security of material.
For more information on digitization process, please see
CSU Japanese American Digitization Project technical reference guide .
Most of the items in this collection have been digitized. The set of digital reproduction preservation files is stored on
the Gerth Archives and Special Collections' department drive for both preservation purposes and duplication requests.
The set of access files was created for the digital management system and is stored on the Gerth Archives and Special Collections'
department external drive for staff use.
CSU Japanese American Digitization Project
This collection is part of the California State University Japanese American Digitization Project. Other collections about
the history of Japanese Americans are found in the digital repository:
CSU Japanese Digitization Project
The collection consists of correspondence between Hiroji Hosaka and his family and friends while he was imprisoned in the
Santa Fe Internment Camp, the Santa Anita Assembly Center, and the Heart Mountain incarceration camp during World War II.
Also included are a copy of Hiroji Hosaka's FBI case file, prewar photographs of the Daiichi Rafu Gakuen, that is, a Japanese
language school in Los Angeles, and Japanese archery, a photograph of the Heart Mountain camp, and his business cards prior
to the war. Incoming and outgoing letters to and from the Santa Fe Internment Camp were censored and some information was
redacted. His letters describe restrictions on outgoing mail from the internement camp. The family letters detail the pressing
situations that they faced: after Hiroji, a husband of the family, was taken away, his wife and young child had to deal with
his hotel business, their properties, and the mass removal and incarceration of people of Japanese ancestry from the West
Coast. The community was being informed in word-of-mouth, and uncertainty and fear were depicted. Most of the items in this
collection have been digitized and are available online.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of the Gerth
Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Gerth Archives and 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.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War, 1939-1945 -- Forced removal of civilians -- United States
Japanese Americans -- Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945
World War, 1939-1945 -- Concentration Camps -- United States
Japanese Americans -- History -- 20th century
Hosaka, Hiroji, 1890-1087 -- Correspondence
Santa Fe Internment Camp (N.M.)
Santa Anita Assembly Center (Calif.)
Heart Mountain Incarceration Camp
box 1, folder 1-27
Correspondence 1942 March 12-October 29, 1962; undated 1942 March 12-September 24
Physical Description: 27 folders
Language of Material: The materials are redominantly in Japanese.
Contains correspondence between Hiroji Hosaka and his family and friends mainly while he was imprisoned in the Santa Fe Internment
Camp, the Santa Anita Assembly Center, and the Heart Mountain incarceration camp during World War II. Letters from his family,
who were his wife, Takino, and young child, Teruo, depict the pressing situation and reactions of the community when Executive
Order 9066 was enacted, such as, sales negotiation for his Aloha Hotel in Little Tokyo, economic losses, supports offered
from non-Japanese American community, leave from the military zones, and registration and departure schedule. Letters from
his friends update on their daily life and activities in the assembly center and incarceration camps and often include haiku
poems. His letters from the Santa Fe Internment Camp describe internees' mail regulations, meals, interrogation questions,
the "parole" process, and the names of internees which were redacted.
box 1, folder 28
Case file 1942
Physical Description: 1 folder
Language of Material: English.
box 1, folder 29
Alien registration card 1942
Physical Description: 1 folder
Language of Material: English.
box 1, folder 30
Photographs 1937 October; 1940 August 25; circa 1942-1945
Physical Description: 1 folder
box 1, folder 31
Business cards circa 1929-1942
Physical Description: 1 folder
Language of Material: English, Japanese.