Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- TOMO Foundation
- Language:
- English.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The TOMO Foundation collection measures 9 linear inches and dates from 1942 to 1944. The collection is arranged in ten series: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Michigan, Ohio, Wyoming, Utah, Unidentified relocation centers, and Government reports.
The collection contains information predominantly from various relocation centers. There is also documentation from nonrelocation center locations. Most of the newsletters (arranged in chronological order) and reports were written from the perspective of Japanese-Americans at the various relocation centers. The photographs portray the conditions at the relocation centers and were taken by M. Graw, Tom Parker, and Francis Stewart, employees of the War Relocation Authority, the body responsible for the centers. The attached photograph addendum describes the photographs in further detail with descriptions provided by the War Relocation Authority in Denver.
The Arizona series (1942-1943) contains newsletters from the Colorado River and Gila River Relocation Centers. There is also a report of disturbance at the Colorado River center at Poston, due to a rumors that some members received payments from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to spy on fellow Japanese-Americans at the camp.
The Arkansas series (1942-1943) includes newsletters from the relocation center in Jerome. There is a letter by a Japanese-American, describing the conditions and treatments received at the center.
Reports were written by Japanese-American residents at the Central Utah Relocation Center in Utah (1942-1943), on topics such as the status of the Japanese in WWII and coping with relocation. The Wakasa incident includes details from both the officials' and Japanese-Americans' perspective of the shooting of an elderly Japanese-American man by an American officer at the camp.
The Government reports series (1942-1944) is comprised of official government documents on the conditions of the relocation centers and the treatment of Japanese-Americans while at these camps. The National Defense Migration Report relates to the segregation of Japanese-Americans at the relocation centers.
- Biographical / historical:
-
The TOMO Foundation in Illinois donated the collection which contains relocation documents by and about the Japanese-Americans during World War II.
- Acquisition information:
- The collection was donated by the TOMO Foundation in 1987.
- Physical location:
- In box 1.
- Physical description:
- 9 linear inches
Access and use
- Location of this collection:
-
5200 North Barton Avenue, M/S ML 34Fresno, CA 93740-8014, US
- Contact:
- (559) 278-2595