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Finding aid of the Frank Nakata Collection
MSS 322  
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Description
Many of the almost 50 letters are in Japanese and many, but not all, of those have been translated. There are letters from other Relocation Camps in Topaz, Utah; Granada, Colorado (Amache); and Newell, California (Tule Lake). Other locations include: Fort Riley, Kansas and Brigham City, Utah.
Background
Frank M. Nakata appears to have lived in Windsor, California (near Santa Rosa) in 1940 and was briefly in the Pomona Assembly Center before being moved to Heart Mountain Relocation Center near Ralston, Wyoming. He likely returned to San Francisco in 1945. Many of the letters in this collection come from his nephew Wataru Oye (1912-2001). According to his biography (http://www.wataruoye.com/Bio.html), Oye was in San Francisco when World War II started. He was drafted, and trained at Camp Phillips, Kansas. Oye later fought with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in Europe. He was discharged in late 1945 and studied art at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. All of Oye's letters in this collection come from his times in Kansas. Other identifiable letter writers include: Sadako Arima, Mitsuko Kawashima, Eiko Arima, Eili Uchida, George and Kishiko Hoshide, and Yoshiko Kanashiro. Frequently, letter writers to Nakata would ask about a Mr. Sakaguchi.
Extent
.25 linear feet
Restrictions
Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Availability
Collection open for research.