Inventory of the Ikemi Family Photographs SPC .2021.035

Jennifer Hill

California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections

2022-01-10

University Library South -5039 (Fifth Floor)

1000 E. Victoria St.

Carson, CA 90747

Business Number: 310-243-3895

archives@csudh.edu

URL: https://libguides.csudh.edu/archives-home

Contributing Institution: California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections

Title: Ikemi Family Photographs

Creator: Ikemi

Identifier/Call Number: SPC .2021.035

Physical Description: 33.5 Megabytes 101 jpeg files

Date (inclusive): circa 1900, 1937-March 1950

Date (bulk): 1944 - 1947

Abstract: This collection includes seventy digitized photographs documenting the life of the Ikemi family before, during, and after World War II. Images in the collection include photographs of friends and family of the Ikemi family, including June and Julie Sugimoto, and incarcerated Japanese Americans at the Poston Incarceration Camp.

Language of Material: English .

Preferred Citation

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

Conditions Governing Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Douglas Ikemi donated the digitized photographs during a Scanning Day event in 2018. The original material was returned to the donor.

Conditions Governing Use

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.

Existence and Location of Originals

This collection contains digital reproductions created from loaned material. The donor retained the original items.

Related Materials

This collection is part of the California State University Japanese American Digitization Project. For more information: CSU Japanese American Digitization Project.

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 (1.3 GB, 101 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: CSUJAD Techincal Reference Guide.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

The digitized photographs are available on the Public Use Drive as JPG files at the Gerth Archives And Special Collections. Please request copies at the reference desk.

Scope and Contents

The Ikemi Family Photographs collection (circa 1900, 1937-March 1950; undated) contains 101 tiff files and 1.3 gb of digitized material belonging to the Ikemi Family. The majority of the collection contains photographs of Kozo Ikemi and May Ikemi before World War II, during and after their time at the Poston Incarceration Camp. The collection contains several photos taken within the Poston Incarceration Camp featuring many incarcerated Japanese Americans and camp barracks, such as May Ikemi's camp barrack. The collection also contains photographs of June and Julie Sugimoto in Poston, Arizona, and Peoria, Illinois. Lastly, the collection contains photographs of friends and family in multiple cities throughout the United States.

Biographical / Historical

May Ikemi was born May Matsubara on April 5, 1925, in Rosamond, California, to Shojiro and Kiri Matsubara. May had three siblings: Shoji Matsubara, Shiyoichi Matsubara, and Rose Matsubara. Her mother and father, born in Japan, immigrated to the United States on the S.S. Ecuador and arrived in San Francisco on January 10, 1917. Her father was a farmer, and her mother was a housewife. Her father, Shojiro, passed away on September 20, 1940, prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor and U.S. involvement in World War II. During World War II, May and her family were forceably removed to the Poston Incarceration Camp in Southwestern Arizona and arrived at the incarceration camp on May 25, 1942. May finished high school in 1943 and received her diploma from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. On May 24, 1944, May was released from the incarceration camp and moved to Peoria, Illinois, to work with friends, June and Julie Sugimoto, who were also in the Poston Incarceration Camp. May Ikemi, June, and Julie Sugimoto worked for the Burchette family, who owned several photo studios in Peoria, Illinois. May spent time in Chicago, Illinois, with her mother and sister, and after a period of time, she returned to California, where she met her husband Kozo Ikemi.

Kozo Ikemi was born on June 29, 1919, to Eizaburo Ikemi and Sen Ikemi, both born in Japan. Eizaburo Ikemi immigrated to the United States on March 31, 1905, on the S.S. Manchuria at the port of Honolulu. His mother, Sen Ikemi, immigrated to the United States on March 4, 1910, on the S.S. Chicago Maru. Like May Ikemi, Kozo Ikemi came from a farming family and lived in California's San Diego County. His mother, Sen Ikemi, passed away on August 19, 1940, two years prior to the Ikemi family's forceably removed to the Poston Incarceration camp. Kozo Ikemi arrived at the incarceration camp on May 15, 1942, and was released on October 19, 1945. After the war, Kozo Ikemi moved to Los Angeles, California, where he met May Matsubara. Kozo and May Ikemi married on November 22, 1950, and had three children. Kozo Ikemi passed away on January 3, 2004, and his wife, May Ikemi, passed away on June 21, 2008.

Sources: http://www.ikemi.info/kozoikemi/kozo1.pdf http://www.ikemi.info/mayikemi/MayHistory.pdf https://www.postonpreservation.org

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Japanese Americans

Japanese Americans -- Forced removal and internment, 1942-1945

World War, 1939-1945 -- Japanese Americans

Poston Incarceration Camp

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_001

Eizaburo Ikemi undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_002_01, ikem_01_002_02

June Sugimoto 1945

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_003_01, ikem_01_003_02

The Burchett Mansion and address May 1945

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_004

June and Julie Sugimoto undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_005_01, ikem_01_005_02

June Sugimoto in the Poston Incarceration Camp 1942

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_006_01, ikem_01_006_02

June and Julie Sugimoto in Poston, Arizona 1942

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_007_01, ikem_01_007_02

May Ikemi and June Sugimoto circa 1940s

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_008_01, ikem_01_008_02

June and Julie Sugimoto at the Burchett Mansion in Peoria, Illinois 1943

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographgraphs, item ikem_01_009_01, ikem_01_009_02

May and a woman with a message to Rose on the back circa 1940s

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_010_01, ikem_01_010_02

Ms. Sausser and Marie Golden 1942

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_011_01, ikem_01_011_02

Julie Sugimoto in Fresno, California undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_012

June Sugimoto next to the Burchett Mansion mailbox 1945

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_013

May Ikemi and a man in front of the Burchett Mansion circa 1940s

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_014_01, ikem_01_014_02

Shoji Matsubara and Ches in Chicago, Illinois November 1944

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_015

Photograph of an Infant undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_016

May, two women, and two men undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_017

June Sugimoto in front of a doorway undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_018_01, ikem_01_018_02

June Sugimoto April 17, 1944

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_019_01, ikem_01_019_02

June Sugimoto and May Ikemi in a slack suit gifted to her by Miss Burchett on Christmas 1945

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_020

May Ikemi and Julie Sugimoto undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_021

May Ikemi and Julie Sugimoto undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_022

May Ikemi undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_023

May Ikemi and June Sugimoto undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_024

May Ikemi holding on to a camera undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_025

Photograph of a woman undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_026_01, ikem_01_026_02

Kay Fijii 1945

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_027_01, ikem_01_027_02

Julie Sugimoto holding her 4 month old daughter, Tami Joy July 1949

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_028

Kozo Ikemi and two men March 1950

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_029

June Sugimoto and a man 1945

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_030

June Sugimoto 1944

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_031

Dorothy Brillat 1942

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_032

Photograph of an elder woman April 25, 1940

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_033

June and Julie Sugimoto with a man 1945

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_034

Julie Sugimoto 1947

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_035_01, ikem_01_035_02

Photograph of a woman in Poston, Arizona circa 1940s

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_036_01, ikem_01_036_02

Marie Golden 1942

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_037_01, ikem_01_037_02

Photograph from Misako Katano of May Ikemi and a woman taken in Quincy, Illinois June 27, 1948

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item Ikem_01_038_01, Ikem_01_038_02

Julie Sugimoto in front of the Burchett Mansion April 17, 1944

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_039

Ronald Yuki Yagi at 3 months old undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_040_01,ikem_01_040_02

Frances Omori and Masako Hirata May 1944

Scope and Contents

Masako Hirata and Frances Omori were at the Poston Incarceration Camp with May Ikemi.

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_041_01, ikem_01_041_02

June Sugimoto, Julie Sugimoto, and May Ikemi circa 1940s

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_042

Julie Sugimoto on the Burchett Mansion driveway in Peoria, Illinois 1944

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_043

Two Year-Old named Katherine 1947

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_044_01, ikem_01_044_02

Kozo Ikemi before World War II undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_045_01, ikem_01_045_02

Boys and girls of Block 19 taken on Easter 1944

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_046_01, ikem_01_046_02

Photograph of Kay, Sally, Yuriko, and Mysey January 1, 1944

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_047

Group photo of men and women in the Poston Incarceration Camp standing in front of the Employment and Leave Office 1944

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_048_01, ikem_01_048_02

Photograph of May Ikemi's address at the Poston Incarceration Camp in Poston, Arizona 1944

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_049

May Ikemi and June Sugimoto April 1945

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_050

June Sugimoto, Julie Sugimoto, and a man in Peoria, Illinois 1950

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_051

June and Julie Sugimoto in front of the Burchett Mansion 1950

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_052

Photograph of two women, two men, and an infant circa 1900s

Scope and Contents

The photo is cut and the connecting piece is missing.

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_053_01, ikem_01_053_02

Hisako, Kay, and Susan undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_054

Kozo Ikemi on a Crawler Tractor undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_055_01, ikem_01_055_02

Kozo Ikemi with other men and boys in the Poston Incarceration Camp circa 1942-1943

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_056_01, ikem_01_056_02

Kozo Ikemi with other men and boys at the Poston Incarceration Camp circa 1940s

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_057_01, ikem_01_057_02

Kozo Ikemi driving a truck in Poston, Arizona circa 1942-1943

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_058

Kozo Ikemi in the Poston Incarceration Camp circa 1940s

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_059_01, ikem_01_059_02

Eizaburo Ikemi, Kozo Ikemi's father, driving a truck through a stream undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_60_01, ikem_01_60_02

Kozo Ikemi before World War II on a Crawler Tractor with a plow attached to it January 14, 1941

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_061

Kozo Ikemi, age 21 November 7, 1940

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_062_02

Kozo Ikemi, age 15, leaning on the hood of a car in San Diego, California August 25, 1934

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_063

Kozo Ikemi in the Poston Incarceration Camp circa 1942-1943

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_064

Kozo Ikemi working on a machine undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_065

Photograph of Kozo Ikemi's sister undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_066

Photograph of a woman addressed to Kozo Ikemi undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_067

Photograph of a young girl undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_068

Photograph of an infant undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_069

Kozo Ikemi in formal wear undated

item Public Use Drive, folder Ikemi Family Photographs, item ikem_01_070

Photograph of a young girl undated